The Other Woman
by JaeCurtis
Summary: What will happen if a married man who loves his wife and child so much meets a seductive woman? Will his love for his family be enough to resist the temptation?
1. Chapter 1

Introduction:

Michael is a family man who married his college sweetheart named Liz. He and Liz has a child together, Hayley. They are what the Miriam Webster dictionary call a perfect family.

Michael got offered a job in DC. He was offered a job in a big law firm. A firm that rarely hires new lawyers. The lawyers that are working there have been there for years, and the others are there because they are simply one the best lawyers in the nation. So when Michael got the offer, he didn't hesitate and moved his family immediately to DC.

"Good luck, hun" said Liz as she fixes the knot in Michael's tie.

"Thanks, hun. I hope they'll like me," Michael said, caressing his wife's cheeks.

"Oh, they will. They will love you. Trust me."

He heads to the door and turns around to see Liz watching him with a smile.

"Go, you'll be late."

"Alright. I love you. I'll see you tonight."

"I love you, too. "

Chapter One:

As Michael enters the office, he can't help but admire the spaciousness and cleanliness of the place. Everyone seems to be organized and so professional. A man approaches him and offers to shake his hand.

"Goodmorning. You're Michael, I assume?"

"Yes. Goodmorning. Nice to meet you. And you are?"

"I'm Ryan Fletcher. I'm one of the associates in this firm. Welcome."

"Oh, nice to meet you, Ryan."

"Let's go ahead and see Percy Smith, the head of the firm. He wants to see you before you start your day. Shall we?"

"Okay."

"Goodmorning. You must be Michael?" Percy asked.

"Yes, sir. It's nice to meet you."

"Okay. I'll leave you two alone. I have phone calls to return." Ryan said.

Percy nods at Ryan.

"So how do you like the place?"

"I love it. It's big."

Percy looks at him and laughs.

"Okay. So your office will be down the hall. Use today to familiarize with the new settings and try to get to know your colleagues. You'll be working closely with them soon enough".

"Okay, sir. I will. Thank you."

Michael finds his office at the end of the hall. It is definitely bigger than the office he had in California. It is well-lit and well-organized. He sits down and looks around, trying to make himself comfortable. After a few minutes he gets up and starts unpacking his box. He has brought some personal items from home. He brought three picture frames: a photo of him and Liz on their wedding day, a picture of Hayley, and a picture of them three as a family. He put the pictures on his desk, along with other items. Then someone knocks at the door..

"Come in."

"Hi. I'm Nikita. Nikita Mears. My office is right next to yours. I just wanted to welcome you to our firm."

Nikita Mears is a lawyer like Michael. She has been with the firm for almost two years now. She is the youngest lawyer there. She was offered the job as soon as she graduated from law school. Not only is she intellectually gifted, but she is also charismatic, sexy, beautiful and physically flawless. Men are always and constantly drawn to her. She is like a goddess and she knows it. Unlike Michael, Nikita is single. She doesn't have a husband or a boyfriend. She is the kind of woman who hates relationships and commitments. She wants to have fun but with no strings attached.

Nikita walks a few steps closer to shake Michael's hand.

"Again, welcome. If you need anything I'll be right next door," Nikita says and flashes Michael a seductive smile.

"Thanks. I will."

Michael watches her as she walks away. His eyes unintentionally wander around and focus on her ass; her perfectly round ass. Even with formal attire, Nikita still manages to look sexy, and whatever she wears, she always seems to find a way to show off her assets. Michael scolds himself for looking.

"You're married for Christ's sake!" he thought to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Michael pulls up in the driveway of his new home. He sees Hayley playing in the swing, with her teddy bear on her lap.

"Daddy!", she screams. "You're home! You're home!"

"Hello, munchkin. I've missed you, too." He says, giving his little girl a kiss on the cheek. "Where's Mommy?"

"In the kitchen, making dinner."

He and Hayley make their way into the house. The minute he opens the door, he immediately smells the aroma of what his wife is cooking.

"Mmm..smells good! Let me guess, pot roast?"

Liz turns around to look for her husband and smiles when she sees his face. "Oh, hi there. How did it go?" She removes the apron and gives her husband a quick kiss on the lips.

"It went great. I had a lot of fun, actually. And the people are great."

He grabs Liz on her waist and kisses her on the nose. "This year is going to be amazing. Thank you for being such a great wife and mother. Without you I wouldn't be here."

"Aww. Are you sick or something, honey?" Liz teases.

"Haha! No. I'm just feeling grateful," he says, placing another kiss on her lips. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."

"Don't you ever forget that," she says, still teasing.

xxx

Nikita wakes up in the middle of the night. She gets up from the bed and grabs the sheet to cover up and her naked body.

"Hey, come back to bed," said the man, whom she had met at the bar a couple of hours earlier.

Nikita ignores him and heads to the living room. She sits on the couch and lights up a cigarette. This has been her routine for years. For the past years she's been hooking up with strangers and having one-night stands. Even when she was still in college, the thought of having just one man never crossed her mind. She's always been so independent and emotionally distant. She doesn't like getting attached or men getting too attached to her. But that is impossible because men always end up getting too attached and she always ends up breaking their hearts. Once she senses that the guy is falling for her, she quickly dumps the guy and move on to the next guy.

She sits in the dark, huffing and puffing her cigarette. Somehow Michael enters her thought.

"He is cute. And I bet he is good in bed, too," she thought, laughing to herself quietly.

xxx

Michael walks into the little cafe next to the firm to get a cup of coffee. He sits at the bar and reads a newspaper. He still has a little less than an hour before his shifts starts at the office. A man enters the cafe and takes the seat next to him.

"Hey, man. Aren't you the new guy that got hired this week?," asked the man.

"Yes. I'm Michael." he says, reaching his hand out for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you, man. I'm Owen. I work on the second floor."

The door opens and both men turn their heads almost at the same time. They see a woman enter, wearing a white long sleeved blouse with a plunging neck line, and tight black pants that accentuate her long legs and buttocks. Her hair is perfectly waved and she's wearing a red lipstick. Both Michael and Owen watch her every move, not even realizing that they are doing it.

"That's Nikita Mears. She's one of the best lawyers in our firm. Certainly the most popular," said Owen.

"Yeah, I've met her on my first day." Michael replied.

"She's hot, isn't she?"

"Uhm.." he hesitated. "She's beautiful, yes." he said finally.

"We all think she's hot. But she is kind of a snob. But..uhm..but I-" he paused.

"You what?"

"But I heard she's a freak in bed."

"Uhm.."

"I had a co-worker who used to date her and he said that she was a freak in bed!" Owen said excitedly.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about her anymore. It's not fair to her. For all we know that could be a rumor."

"Aw, a good guy. I like that."

Then as Owen finishes his sentence, Nikita passes by with coffee on one hand and a newspaper on the other, and winks at Michael and Owen.

"Hey, boys. Good morning," she said, flashing both men with a flirtatious smile. "See you both inside."

Both men watch her as she walks away. Then all of sudden Owen adjusts his tie and blurts out, "Man, she's hot!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

The firm has a big murder case in their hands. A family has been massacred and the man being accused of the murder is someone who works for the community, a cop. And based on her excellent record, the relatives of the victims seek Nikita to handle the case.

"It looks like you're going to be VERY busy these coming weeks. Or months," Percy said.

"Tell me about it. I have to temporarily kiss my social life goodbye. Or at least whatever is left of it," she replies sarcastically.

"And since it's a big case I thought you might need another set of hands."

"Really? And whose hands are we referring to?" she asks, with an obvious irritation in her voice.

"I'm afraid you might ask that. How about the new guy Michael?"

Nikita purses her lips and takes the seat in front of Percy's desk. Even though she does not show it, the sound of Michael's name excites her.

"Look, Nikita, I know how capable you are as a lawyer, and I also know how much you hate working with others."

"But?"

"But Michael is an excellent lawyer. He's got an excellent record just like yourself, and he's handled some pretty big cases as well back in California. I just thought you two make a good team. " He says, pursuading Nikita.

"Fine. It's not like I need any more stress in my life. I guess another set of hands will make my life a little bit less stressful."

"Great. I'll let Michael know, and I'll send him to your office after we talk."

"Super," rolling her eyes, heading towards the door.

xxx

Nikita is on the phone with a client when she hears a knock on the door.

"Okay, Mr. Smith. I will try contact their lawyer and inform them of what we have talked about. Thanks! Bye."

Another knock..

"Come in."

"Hi. Sorry, did I interrupt a phone call?" Michael said apologetically.

"Oh, no. We were done anyway. So what's up? I assume Percy already filled you in on what's going on?"

"Yeah, he did. And I'm here to review the case with you. If that's okay with you?"

"Of course. But I gotta warn you, this is going to be a long night. You might want to make a phone call to someone to let her know that you won't make it to dinner tonight. If there's a someone, of course."

"As a matter of fact, there is. And yes, I will do that. I will call her right now. Excuse me for just one minute."

"Okay. No problem."

Nikita watches him walk away. And from where she is sitting, she could see Michael standing in the hallway next to the copying machine, making the phone call. She stares at him, and wonders if it is a girlfriend or a wife he is talking to. For some reason, the thought of Michael having a girlfriend or even possibly a wife, gives Nikita an unexplainable feeling of excitement. She keeps staring, focusing her attention on his perfectly sculpted body. Then Michael hangs up the phone and heads back to Nikita's office. Nikita quickly stands up and walks towards the window, pretending to be reading the files.

"Done. Now we can get started." He said, giving Nikita an innocent friendly smile.

"Perfect" she replies, flashing him a seductive smile as she passes by him. "I'll go get the rest of files. I'll be right back."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

It's almost midnight and Michael is still in the office with Nikita. It has been a long night for the two of them. They've been at work now for more than 12 hours. They have been reviewing the case and watching security footages recovered from the surrounding neighborhoods, trying to track down the suspect's whereabouts on the day of the crime, and days leading up to the crime.

"We've got a strong case in our hands, " says Michael, rubbing his forehead with his left hand. "But-"

"There's a but?" Nikita asks playfully.

"We're going up against a cop. A well-liked cop."

"So? So what if he's a cop? Are scared?" she teases.

"No. I'm just saying, this is going to be a very complicated case. Things are going to get very messy, and I'm pretty sure that you and I will get dragged into the mess, as well."

"It wouldn't be the first time. Or at least not for me. I've been through it before. And," she pauses. She leans down just a few inches from his ear, and whispers seductively, "Maybe I like it messy."

Michael freezes. And before he could even react, Nikita makes her way to the door.

"Goodnight, Michael. I'll see you in the morning. Don't forget to lock up when you're done."

But before Michael can even say a word, Nikita flashes him a sedutive smile and winks her left eye flirtatiously as she approaches the door.

Michael stays around for another half an hour. He sits in his office, wondering what just happened. He tries to brush it off but Nikita's smile keeps flashing in his head. The way she winks her eye, the way she smiles and the way she flips her hair when she talks; it's just incredibly sexy and irresistable.

xxx

It is now 5:00 in the morning and Michael is still wide awake. He had been at work all day the previous day but he doesn't feel sleepy at all. He keeps tossing and turning in bed. Not even realizing that he has awaken Liz.

"Honey, what's the matter?" she asks. She checks the time and suddenly finds herself worrying about her husband. She and Michael have been together for so long, and she knows that Michael is someone who sleeps through anything. There is nothing that can keep him up at night. So she asks again, "Are you okay? Is something bothering you?"

Of coursh he can't tell his wife that the reason why he can't sleep is because of a woman. A woman he hardly knows and doesn't even like, or at least not romantically. He himself is confused as to why he would be thinking about Nikita. It makes no sense to him at all. And he feels really guilty for having another woman occupy his thoughts. He suddenly feels as if he is cheating on Liz.

"Nothing, hun. Just tired, I guess," he says, grabbing Liz closely for a hug.

He wraps Liz into his arms. He listens to her peaceful breathing while he stays awake, still thinking of Nikita.

xxx

Michael is reading a newspaper when he is greeted by Owen.

"Goodmorning, man," says Owen, not even looking at him. Just before he takes the seat next to Michael, he turns his head and looks and says, "Woah, man. Long night, huh?" he says playfully.

"Yeah. We were stuck in the office for hours."

"We? As in you and Nikita?"

"Uhm, yes."

Owen laughs. "No wonder you look tired. I bet it was a long night," he chuckled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asks, clearly annoyed at Owen's statement.

"Nothing, bro," getting up, making his way out the door.

"Prick!" he says. Not realizing that someone else is there in the room.

"Me? Ouch! Good morning to you, too."

He turns his head and to his surprise, Nikita is already sitting next to him, with a newspaper on her hand.

"Oh, no. That wasn't for you. Sorry. "

"Say no more."

Michael tries to say something but Nikita is already on the phone with someone. She gets up from her seat and heads to the door. She sways her hips slowly and seductively. Michael catches himself staring at her once again.

"Stop staring at her, dammit!" he whispers to himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Liz makes breakfast for Hayley. Today she starts kindergarten. Michael has been away from home a lot lately because of the murder case he is working on. He hates the fact that he is missing out on his daughter's life. He wants to be the one to take her to school on her first day but his hectic schedule wouldn't allow it. He has been spending his entire day at the office, and gets home pretty late at night. He misses his wife and his little girl.

"Good morning, honey. Will you be eating breakfast with us," asks Liz as Michael enters the kitchen.

Michael walks towards Liz and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry, honey, I can't. I need to be in the office in 30 minutes."

Hayley stares at her dad with a sad face, then looks down. "I've missed you, Daddy," she says. Almost in tears.

Michael picks up her daughtet and kisses her on the nose. "I know, sweetie. Me, too. Daddy's just a little busy right now but I'll tell you what. As soon as this is all over, Daddy will make it up to you."

Hayley wipes away her tears and a smile spreads across her face. "Really, Daddy? You promise?"

"Yes, princess. I promise."

Michael gives Hayley one last kiss to the cheek and gently puts her down to her chair. He hugs Liz briefly and heads out the door.

xxx

Nikita walks into the cafe and scans the room for her cousin. She and her cousin always have breakfast twice a week. Being an only child, Nikita developed such a strong bond with her. She is one of the very few people who truly knows the real Nikita.

She looks around and finally sees her sitting next to the big window in the corner.

"Well, well, well. Look at you. You look gorgeous," her cousin teases.

Nikita gives her a seductive smile and takes a seat across from her. "Oh, stop it, Alex. If you that say again I might actually believe you." She says playfully.

"So, who's the guy? Alex asks.

"What guy?"

"The guy you're dressing up for?"

"I'm not dressing up for anyone."

"Yeah, right. Come on, Nikita. I know you. Just look at your pants, they're showing off your perfectly round ass. And look at your lipstick and hair, it's like you're saying "Come and get me!" And don't even get me started on your shirt," she teases. "Spill!"

"Alright. It's this new lawyer I'm working with."

"And?"

"And he's kind of cute. He is not like other guys who flirt with you back when you flirt with them."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I give him flirty smiles and stuff like that and nothing!"

"Nothing?"

"Yes! Nothing! He won't even look in my direction. Like he's afraid of me or something."

"Wow! That's weird. I don't know anyone like that. Are you sure he's not gay?"

"Alex, the man is married and has a child so there's no-" she is quickly interrupted.

"He is married and has a daughter?"

"Yes! And that's what makes it so challenging and interesting. I don't know. But that little complication kinda excites me," she says, twirling her hair with her finger.

"Nikita, what do you think are the chances of you getting him to bed with you," Alex asks. The question itself almost sounded like a dare to Nikita.

"Alex, my dear, I can have whoever I want. If I want him in bed with me, I can," she says proudly.

"Really? I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

"I guess we will."

xxx

Michael sits in the office, patiently waiting for Nikita. For some reason he finds himself being excited to see her. A part of him is amazed by her strong personality, and a part of him is just curious, like he wants to know more about her. Without making it obvious to anyone, of course. Especially not to Nikita.

"Goodmorning, Michael," she says, putting her things and coffee down on the table.

Michael couldn't help but stare at her. There's something about the way she carries herself that makes her so appealing to men. It's her charisma, her confidence and her playfulness that make her so sexy.

"Goodmorning," he replies, trying to focus his mind on other things.

"Another long day ahead of us. I hope you're ready."

"Ready as I'll ever be."

xxx

It's past midnight and they're still in the office. Both of them are tired and sleepy, but neither of them can leave because they still have to review some important documents.

"Okay, here it is. I found it," Nikita exclaims.

Michael gets up from his chair and heads over to Nikita. He leans down a little to check the documents.

"Are you sure? Let me see."

"Yes. I am positive."

He bends a little further down, his face is now only inches away from Nikita. "Yes. You're right. That's the one," he says, turning his head towards Nikita. He looks at her and he sees that she is looking at him, too. He suddenly realizes how close they are to one another and he tries to move away, but before he even had the chance to, Nikita catches his lips. Michael is caught off guard but quickly pulls away.

"Nikita, don't. I'm married."

"Relax. It meant nothing. It's just that you were too close and I'm tired. Let's consider it forgotten."

"Okay. Maybe we should both go home now. It's been a long night and we both need to rest."

"I agree."

xxx

Nikita fills the tub with hot water. She sits in the tub with a cigarette on one hand and a glass of wine on the other. She closes her eyes and thinks about Michael. She takes a sip of her wine and she relives the moment her lips were on Michael's. She puts her cigarette out and places her wine on the floor. Then she spreads her legs wide open and she starts touching herself. She closes her eyes and let her head fall backwards. Her right hand gently squeezes her breast while the other hand slowly makes itself down her thighs. She runs her hand up and down her thigh, then she starts rubbing her clit. She moans with pleasure and inserts two fingers in her vagina. She is getting more and more aroused and the only person she is thinking about right now is Michael. She imagines him sucking her nipples and clit, and she imagines him inserting his big penis into her vagina, pounding her harder and deeper. She is about to reach her orgasm.

"Ahh. Fuck!", she screams. She inserts a third finger and moves them in and out, faster and deeper. "Fucckkk! Aaghh!"

She came and now she feels exhausted. Exhausted and satisfied.

"One day you'll fuck me for real, Michael," she thought to herself.

xxx

Michael gets up from bed and heads downstairs. He grabs a glass of water and goes out to the patio. He sits there and thinks about the little incident with Nikita earlier that evening. He keeps thinking about the kiss. He keeps thinking about how soft and how good her lips felt on his. Then all of a sudden, a feeling of guilt takes over him. He suddenly feels angry and disgusted at himself for allowing another woman enter his thoughts. He feels awful that instead of cuddling with his wife in bed at this moment, he is out in the patio thinking about another woman. He quickly heads back inside the house and goes back to the bedroom. He slips next to Liz and starts kissing her on the neck. He slips his hand under her night gown, which causes Liz to wake up. He kisses her lips roughly. He slips his tongue and grabs her breast not so gently. Michael's attitude surprises Liz. For many years they have been together, Michael has never made love to her this way. He's always been so gentle and passionate. But tonight he is rough and his touches and kisses are full of lust. He doesn't admit it to himself but that brief, intimate moment he shared with Nikita earlier had made him very aroused, and unconsciously, he is picturing himself fucking Nikita instead of his wife. He spreads her legs and entered her forcefully. He starts thrusting, pounding her harder and faster. He bites her neck and Liz screams in both pain and shock.

When it was all over, Michael quickly falls asleep while Liz lays there naked, wondering what just happened. She gets up and puts her clothes on. She stands in front of the bed and stares at her husband. She could tell something is bothering him but she doesn't know what.


	6. Chapter 6

Michael and Nikita have been working together closely for 6 months now. For the past months they have been spending all day and all night together, and sometimes they even work on weekends and holidays. Ever since that night Nikita kissed Michael, things between them have been a bit awkward, or at least for Michael they were. He wouldn't look at Nikita unless it was necessary and he kept their relationship strictly professional. He stopped calling her by her first name and instead referred to her as "Ms. Mears". Nikita, on the other hand, has been completely the opposite. She's been acting like as if the kiss never even happened. She did, however, pay more attention to her looks, more than she did any other times before. She made sure that she always looked beautiful, and carried herself with such confidence. She made sure that she was hotter than ever!

xxx

It's now December and the firm is having its annual Christmas party. Everyone looks forward to this party because it is the only time where they could just forget about their cases and clients, and just unwind. Yearly, employees would bring their families along. The party is usually held at a fancy hotel. It is well-planned and well-organized. There's always great music, great food and of course, great booze.

xxx

"So Nikita, who will be accompanying you this year to the christmas party?" asks Alex.

"Uhm. I haven't really thought about that," she replies, pursing her lips.

"Are you serious? You can't go alone. You'll ruin your plan if you did."

"My plan?" she asks, raising one of her eyebrows.

"Oh, come on, Nikita. I know what you're doing okay. I've seen this before. And it worked every single time!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Do you think I don't know what you're doing?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about," she says, turning her back on Alex and heading straight to the kitchen to grab some drink.

"Oh, please. You're ignoring Michael and pretending like you're not interested in him, then you'll show up with a guy and start doing your magic until Michael dies from jealousy. Am I right? Or did I leave anything out?"

Nikita laughs hysterically. "Oh, Alex. You really do know me so well. And yes, you are right. I will bring a date. I just don't know who yet," she says, winking playfully at Alex.

xxx

Michael and his family enters the hotel. He and Liz are instanly mesmerized by how beautiful the place is set up. It is obvious that the firm had spent a fortune on this party. Michael finds a table for them. He chose the one closest to the dance floor. He should be enjoying this night with his family but instead, he finds himself scanning the huge room for Nikita. He can't quite figure out what it is but the more Nikita ignores him, the more he becomes interested in her. He hates himself for it and even disgusts himself sometimes, but there is something about her that he cannot resist.

The party started almost an hour ago and there still no sign of Nikita. Michael is becoming anxious and Liz is noticing.

"Honey, what's the matter? You've been extremely quiet. Is everything okay?" Liz asks.

"Yes. I'm just tired, I guess."

He keeps scanning the room, not even realizing that Liz is watching him. She knows that something is wrong, since that night they made love back in June, but she can't exactly pin point what it is. Something in him changed. She can see it but she can't do anything about it.

"Who are you looking for?" she asks, with obvious irritation and annoyance in her voice.

"What? Uhm. No one. Just my co-worker Owen," he replies, kissing Liz's hand.

A few minutes later, Nikita walks in with her date. She is wearing a red dress, with just the proper length to show off her long, sexy legs. She pairs the dress with 3-inch black stilettos and her hair is perfectly curled. And her date is just as gorgeous as she is.

Michael is talking to Liz when he notices Nikita takes the seat across their table. His jaw drops. He can't stop staring at her and she knows it. She gives him a friendly smile and he smiled in return. He could not help but be amazed at how beautiful and sexy she looks on that dress. He is so busy staring at her that he doesn't even realize that she is with someone. Then Nikita leans to the guy next to her and whispers seductively in his ear. That is when it finally registers to Michael that Nikita has brought a date.

After dinner the DJ starts playing music. Everyone heads to the dance floor with their spouses. Nikita and her date head to the dance floor and begin to dance. Liz grabs Michael hand and leads him to the dance floor. Michael is dancing with his wife but his eyes are on Nikita, watching her every move; the way she sways her hips, the way she touches her date, the way she laughs. God, it's making Michael extemely aroused. He's been denying his attraction to her for months, and for months he was able to avoid and resist her. But tonight, watching her dance and seeing how beautiful she is, he knows he wants her. He wants her and he wants her bad.


	7. Chapter 7

After more than a year working on the murder case, the trial is almost over. The jury have finally reached a verdict:

"We, the jury, find the defendant, Joseph Lee Smith, guilty of first degree murder."

The court is packed with family members, friends and the media. As soon as they hear the verdict, relatives and friends of the victims start crying and applauding. The relatives of the victims hug both Nikita and Michael, and the two of them couldn't help but hug each other, as well. It is indeed a successful and victorious day. All those hard work and months of sleep deprivation have finally paid off.

"You know, Nikita, we should celebrate. We deserve it," says Michael.

"Uhm, Nikita? Did you just call me by my first name? Since when were you on a first name basis with me?," she teases.

Michael couldn't help but laugh. "So is that a yes?"

"Yes. Why not? Like you said, we deserve it."

"So dinner?"

"Dinner it is," she smiles seductively.

xxx

Liz and Hayley are away for a week. Liz's family from Europe are coming to the States and they are having a big family reunion. But since Michael was busy with the trial, Liz decided to just go without him. After the trial, Michael goes home and heads straight to the shower. For some reason, he is really excited to have dinner with Nikita. He calls one of the fanciest and popular restaurants in the city and makes a last-minute reservation. He gets dressed, combs his hair and sprays perfume on his neck and clothes. He looks at the clock and sees that it is still a little early to drive to Nikita's house, so he sits on the couch in the living room and starts flipping through channels on TV.

xxx

It's 8:00 and Nikita just finished putting on her stilettos. She's been dreaming of this and waited for this for more than a year. She wanted Michael since day one, but Michael has always resisted her. But tonight is definitely her night. After tonight, Michael won't be able to resist her anymore. She hears the doorbell and quickly heads downstairs to answer it. She straightens her dress, and twirls the ends of her hair before she opens the door.

"Hi. Good evening. You look lovely," greets Michael.

"Thanks."

"Are you ready?"

"Almost. I just have to go get my purse," she says, heading to the kitchen counter.

Michael watches Nikita very carefully. He looks at her from head to toe. He couldn't help but admire how sexy she looks on that short, backless, black dress. He is amazed on how perfectly toned her back is, and how beautiful her long legs are. "God, she is beautiful," he thinks to himself. Nikita grabs her purse and heads back to where Michael is standing. She is fully aware that Michael is checking her out, and sure enough, she catches him staring at her. They walk out to the driveway where Michael's black, convertible BMW is parked. He opens the door for her and she thanks him for the notion.

xxx

The two of them arrive at the restaurant. Michael reserved a private room, away from all the noise and other customers. The room is dimly lit and you can see the beautiful view of the city from the window.

"Wow. This is beautiful. The view is spectacular," says Nikita.

"I'm glad you like it," he says, pulling a chair out for Nikita.

"We didn't have to come here. We could've just easily celebrated this night else where."

"No, no. This is the perfect place. After all, you and I deserve it."

"You're right," she says, pausing for a few seconds. "So that woman you were with at the party, was that your wife? We weren't introduced so I am not sure."

"Yes, that's my wife. And I'm sorry I didn't introduce you."

"Oh, that's okay. You didn't have to."

"So how long have you been married?" she asks curiously.

"We've been together since college but we've been married for 6 years."

"Wow. That's a long time."

"What about you?"

"Me? Uhm. Well, I don't believe in marriage. I don't like commitments."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Marriage is not for me."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. I just don't see myself being stuck with the same person for the rest of my life. Where's the fun in that, right?," she says playfully.

"I've never heard that one before. Or at least not from a woman. Where were you when I was in college?," ge teases.

Both of them laugh at the joke. Michael finds her laugh very attractive. For all those times they spent together the past year at the office, not once did he ever see her laugh like that. The Nikita he knows is sarcastic, serious and flirtatious. But this woman, this Nikita sitting across from him this evening, is a little more than that. In fact, the Nikita he is with right now is nothing like the woman he spent many months with at the office. This Nikita is funny, witty, still very much sarcastic but very interesting and mysterious at the same time, and he can't help but want to get to know her more.

xxx

After dinner, Michael and Nikita goes to a bar to grab some drink. They worked together for over a year but not once did they ever talk like this, laugh like this or even interacted like this. They did not realize it at first but the two of them actually enjoy each other's company. They had a little too much drink; much more than what they had planned, and both of them know that neither of them could drive after this so Michael leaves his car in the parking lot and calls a cab. The cab picks them up and heads first to Nikita's house.

The cab stops in front of Nikita's house. Before she gets out of the car, she looks at Michael and she sees that he is looking at her too. She gives him a smile and he grabs her for a hug. Then out of the blue, Michael offers to walk her to her front door, and she agrees. They walk together and stand in front of the door, gazing at each other's eyes. Nikita looks at Michael's eyes and she knows that look. She has seen that same look many times before. He is not the first man to ever give her that look. Michael wants to kiss her but he cannot seem to make the first move. Then Nikita finally breaks the silence.

"Do you wanna come in?" she asks.

Michael looks at her one more time, "Yes, please."

They enter the house and Nikita walks towards the kitchen. "I'm making coffee. Do you want some?," she asks, removing her heels along the way.

"Yes," he replies, following closely behind.

The two of them had coffee. They talk and talk, as if they had not been doing that all night at the restaurant and at the bar. Then Michael stares at Nikita, admiring how beautiful she is. He stares at her lips, "God, her lips are amazing," he thinks to himself. Nikita catches him stare at her lips so she bites her lower lip seductively and she swears she saw him swallow hard by the gesture. Nikita surely knows how to get a man's attention, even a man like Michael. She waited patiently for this night; for Michael to fall to her trap. She's always known that Michael would someday give in. She sees him staring at her and she stares at him in return. Her eyes are wild and full of lust, just like his. The way she looks at him, the way she moves and the way she smiles make him so aroused that he can longer think straight. All he wants to do right this very moment is to kiss her and touch her. He wants to feel her warmth on his body. He wants her  
and he wants her badly. Then Nikita breaks the silence.

"I know you want me, Michael," she says, still staring at him. "That's why you're here. You're here because you want me. You've always wanted me but you've always been too afraid and righteous to admit it."

Michael is speechless. He knows she's right but he does not know how to respond to everything she said. He is afraid of where this could lead, or how it would affect his life, his marriage and his family. "Nikita, I, uhm," he doesn't finish his sentence.

"Kiss me," she says, with so much fire in her eyes. "If you want me you can have me."

Michael can feel his throat constrict, and his heart is beating extremely fast. He doesn't know if he is excited or scared, or even both. He doesn't move. His lips stay sealed. He is visibly nervous and Nikita can see it.

Nikita gets up from her seat and walks closer to Michael. He looks up to her, not knowing what to do. He wants her so bad but at the same time, the faces of his wife and child keep flashing on his mind. He is feeling both lust and guilt, and it makes him feel trapped. Nikita lifts his chin and kisses him passionately. But before he could even return the kiss, Nikita breaks away and turns around. "Goodnight, Michael. I think you should go home now. It's late."

Michael couldn't believe what he just heard. He looks at her but she is already making her way upstairs. "Lock up when you leave. I'll see you at the office tomorrow," she yells, making her way to the stairs. He runs after her and before she could even react, he grabs her by the waist, turns her around and smashes his lips roughly and passionately onto hers.

"I want you," he murmurs between kisses. "Damn you," he whispers to her ears as he makes his way to her neck. "I fucking want you," pinning Nikita to the nearest wall.

"Then fuck me, Michael! Fuck me good!," she says, already unbuttoning Michael's shirt.

Michael reaches her back and unzips her dress. Within a matter of minutes, the both of them have managed to strip all of their clothing except for their underwears. With Nikita still pinned to the wall, Michael pulls her hands up against the wall and continues his way down. He kisses her neck and squeezes her breasts. Then he gently moves down and starts licking her nipples slowly.

"Ahhh," she moans, closing her eyes.

He quickly carries her and takes her to her bedroom. He lays her down on the bed and starts kissing her legs and thighs. Then the kisses turn into licks. He licks her thighs and spreads her legs apart. He looks up to her and sees her losing it. "Do you have any idea how many nights I spent thinking about doing this to you?," he whispers in an aroused, husky tone. He slides her panties to the side and slides his tongue inside.

"Ahh, Micha- Just fuck me already!," she says impatiently.

Michael chuckes and starts licking her clit in slow, circular motion. "Don't worry, we'll get to that," he teases. "I'll fuck you and I'll fuck you real good 'til you forget who you are."

Nikita reaches down on his hard penis and starts caressing it. Then she pushes Michael off her and pushes him down the bed. She makes her way on top of him, and slowly makes her move down. Michael watches her closely as she takes his penis into her mouth. She sucks it and moves up and down, looking at Michael's eyes. Michael throw's his head back in pleasure as he moans her name. "Fuck, Nikita. You're so good!"

Nikita goes up and down, tightening her mouth even more as she goes deeper. Michael can feel his impending orgasm and quickly stops her. He grabs her and positions her on top of him. She looks him in the eye and they both stare at each other for a few seconds. He then lifts her and guides his penis into her vagina. Nikita throws her head back at the contact, whipping Michael's legs with her long hair. She moves slowly at first, up and down, then moving her hips in circles. Then she picks up her pace, going up and down roughly and violently. Michael grips her hips tightly to guide her.

"Fuck! Agghh! Oh, fuck!" Michael yells, flipping Nikita beneath him.

He grabs both of her legs and rest them on top of his shoulders. Then he enters her and starts thrusting hard and fast. He places one of his hand on her hip, and the other rubs her clit gently as he thrusts deeper and faster into her. Then he withdraws his penis and positions Nikita on her hands and knees. He enters her from behind and starts pounding even harder and faster than he did a few minutes ago.

"Oooh, fuck. Aaahh! Faster, Michael!" she commands!

He goes faster, harder and deeper. Her screams and moans drive him mad and make him even more dangerously aroused.

"Oh, God!," she moans breathlessly. "I'm almost there! Faster!"

Michael pounds faster and faster. He grabs her by the neck and places his mouth near her ear while he pounds on her, "Say my name!," he commands, biting her right shoulder.

Nikita moans with pleasure. "Ahh. Mi-Michael."

"Ahhh. Fuck! Oh, God! I'm coming!"

He keeps pounding faster and harder, then the both of them came together at the same time. Both breathless, exhausted and sweating profusely. Nikita lays on her chest, eyes shut, breathing heavily. Michael crawls to her side and starts kissing her back, then he turns her around and kisses her passionately.

"You're so good in bed," he whispers in her ear.

Nikita laughs. "Now you know what you've been missing out on," she says seductively.

Michael smirks and instead of saying something back, he begins to place small kisses on Nikita's skin, and continues to work his way down. But before he could get any further, his phone rings.

"Oh, shit! It's my wife!"

To be continued..


	8. Chapter 8

Michael slowly opens the front door. He slowly places his keys on the kitchen counter and makes his way upstairs without making any noise, or turning on a single light. The house is dark but he somehow manages to find his way to the bedroom. He slowly turns the knob and is surprised when the light suddenly turns on.

"I've been calling you all night. Where have you been?" Liz asks, feeling both worried and confused.

"I, ah- I was out with my colleagues and I didn't hear my phone ring. We won the case, by the way. And that's why I was out so late, uhm, we wanted to celebrate." He says, avoiding her gaze.

"You won? Congrats, honey! I knew you would," she says. "So who were you with?" she asks innocently.

"Oh, you know, just the guys."

"What about your partner? What was her name?"

"Oh, Ms. Mears? Uhm, unfortunately she couldn't come. She had other things planned out so she wasn't able to celebrate with us."

"That's too bad. She worked just as hard as you did to win this case." She says, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

"Enough about me. How was your trip?" he asks, occupying the space next to her.

"Let's talk about that later. I've missed you so, so much" she says, kissing him on the lips.

He kisses her back but pulls away rather quickly. Liz then places her hand on his hips and starts playing with his boxer shorts. Michael grabs her hand and stops her.

Liz looks at Michael. "What's the matter? Don't you miss me?" she says, feeling hurt and rejected.

"Honey, of course I do. It's just that I'm tired and I had a little too much drink. My stomach is not feeling too good right now. I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow," he says, kissing her on the forehead.

Liz forces a fake smile, "Goodnight then." She crawls back to bed and turns her back on Michael, not wanting him to see her upset. She couldn't help but feel hurt by his reaction because for all the years they have been together, Michael has never rejected her in any way.

Michael feels guilty for rejecting and cheating on his wife, but at the same time, the only thing that is on his mind right now is Nikita.

Xxx

Nikita meets up with Alex at the same restaurant they always go to for breakfast. She spots Alex right away, sitting by the bar.

"Good morning, beautiful." She says, giving her cousin a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Someone is in a good mood, I wonder why." Alex teases.

"So what if I am in a good mood? It's not like I'm always bitchy 24/7," she replies, grabbing a seat next to her.

"You ARE always bitchy 24/7!" she says, giving Nikita a dirty look.

"That's not true."

"Oh, yes, it is. You did something slutty, didn't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, my God! You didn't! Please tell me you didn't!"

Nikita does not say anything. Instead, she stares at Alex and gives her a mischievous grin.

"Oh, God! You slut! I knew it! I so knew it!"

"I told you I could, and I would. And guess what, I did," she says proudly.

Alex laughs and slaps Nikita's leg. "When? I mean, how did this happen?"

"Let's start with the when. Well, just last night. How? Uhm, I'd like to spare you with the information. I don't think you'd really want to know," she teases.

"But Nikita, he is married," she blurts out, with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Relax. I'm not going to steal him from his wife. I don't want a relationship, okay? We just slept together, that's all. And plus, she'll never find out. "

"Well, I hope you know what you're doing. I don't want to see you get burned."

"I appreciate your concern, dear. But have you not met me? I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"I hope so."

Xxx

Michael gets off the elevator and walks quickly to the room. He is scanning the room for Nikita but he doesn't see her, so he stops by her office to check if she is there but she is not there, either. Then just before he opens the door to his office, he hears her laughing and talking with Ryan. Michael gets inside his office to lay his things on his desk then quickly steps outside to greet them both. He approaches the two and stands next to Ryan.

"Good morning, guys. What are we talking about here?" he says, staring right at Nikita.

Nikita smiles at him but avoids his gaze. She is acting like as if nothing happened between them the previous night, and this confuses Michael more than he expected. Just what exactly did he expect to happen? He keeps staring at her, then looks briefly at Ryan to make it seem that he is listening and interested in what he is saying. Then, a few minutes later, Nikita excuses herself and heads back to her office. Michael feels hurt by Nikita's sudden coldness. He does not know why he is even upset and hurt about it because first of all, he is well aware that he and Nikita are not together. He is well aware that what they had was nothing more than just a one-night stand. Ryan finally decides to end the conversation and heads back to his office to make phone calls. Michael looks around and when he sees that no one is paying attention, he walks quickly to Nikita's office.

He knocks on the door..

"Come in" she says, not expecting it to be Michael.

"Hi, good morning," he says, closing the door behind him.

"Oh, hi, Michael. Good morning. What brings you here?"

"Uhm, I just –I just wanted to see how you were, that's all."

"Missing me already?" she teases, biting her lower lip.

Michael swallows hard, not expecting her to say that. But before he could even say a word, Nikita takes a few steps forward and catches his lips.

"I was just messing with you," she says, wiping his lower lip with her thumb. Then she turns around to go back to her chair when all of a sudden Michael grabs her by the waist, and pushes her towards her desk. This takes her by surprise because she wasn't even sure this morning whether or not Michael would still talk to her after what had happened last night.

"You smell so good," he says, hugging her tightly from behind.

Nikita laughs seductively and turns around to face him. "I'm glad you like it."

"Hey, listen. Would you like to grab lunch together today?" he asks.

"Oh, sorry, but I already said yes to Ryan so.."

"Oh. Okay."

He doesn't show it but deep down he is bothered that she is having lunch with Ryan. He does not know why it even bothers him, or what it is he is really feeling. Could it be jealousy? No. It can't be. He and Nikita are nothing more than just colleagues. They had a one-night stand, yes. But that is it. He has no reason to feel this way at all. He releases Nikita and straightens his suit. "I better go. I'll see you around."

Nikita watches him walk away and smiles. She predicted this. She knew he would fall for her trap. She just never expected that he'd fall this soon.

Xxx

Liz spends the afternoon at her bestfriend's house while Hayley is at school. She usually has lunch with her bestfriend Amanda three times a week. Unlike all the other times they have spent together, today Liz is acting differently and Amanda can easily tell something is wrong.

"Is everything okay, Liz?" she asks, trying to read her face.

"I-uh" she pauses. "I don't know, Amanda."

"What's wrong, sweetie? Is it your dad? Is he still sick?" she says, sitting closer to her.

"No, it's not my dad."

"Then what is it?"

"It's Michael," she replies, looking down to avoid her bestfriend's gaze.

"Michael? Why, what's wrong with Michael?" she asks with concern.

"I—I don't know. I think- I think. " she stops, tears begin to fall.

"What is it, Liz? You can talk to me," she says, hugging her friend tightly.

"I think he's cheating on me."

"What?!"

Amanda could not believe her ears. She has known Liz and Michael since they were dating, and she knows Michael is not that type of guy. She knows how responsible he is, and how much he loves Liz and Hayley.

"Sweetheart, no. Are you sure?"

"No, I'm not. But I feel it. I have a strong feeling that he is."

"What makes you say that?"

Liz sobs, gathering all her strength to talk. "Lately he's been very cold. He is just not the same Michael."

"Maybe he is just tired from work. Maybe he is just stressed out. You know men, they tend to withdraw from their loved ones when stressed."

"I don't know, Amanda. I just know something is not right with my husband. If he cheats on me, I don't know what I'm going to do," she says, sobbing hysterically.

"Come here, sweetie. Michael is not cheating on you, okay? He could and would never do that to you. He loves you and Hayley, that I know. "

"Oh, God. I'm such a horrible wife, Amanda. I can't believe I'm accusing my husband of cheating. Oh, God. I didn't mean to. I just miss him so much. Oh, Amanda. I'm sorry."

"Shh. That's okay, sweetie. You're just stressed too and you just miss him. I'll tell you what, why don't we pack some lunch so you can take it down to the office and surprise your husband, huh?"

Liz's face lights up and she wipes her tears with her hands. "I think that's a great idea. I'll surprise him."

Xxx

Liz gets out of her car. She is carrying a basket full of food and a bottle of champagne. She thought since she and Michael did not get the chance to celebrate his win the other night, it would be a great idea to share a bottle of champagne over lunch. She walks through the lobby and heads to the elevators. She steps out of the elevators and is quickly greeted by Ryan, who happens to be waiting for someone.

"Hey, aren't you Michael's wife?" he asks.

Liz tries to remember his face and quickly recognizes him. "Oh, yes. You're Ryan, right?"

"Yes. We met at the Christmas party."

"Yes, I remember. Again, I'm Liz."

Then the person Ryan is waiting for shows up.

"Oh, sorry, I don't think you two have met. I don't think you had the chance to meet during the Christmas party. Liz, this is Ms. Mears, one of our colleagues."

She looks at the woman, and tries to remember where she heard her name before. Then, she suddenly remembers her from one of Michael's stories.

Nikita takes a step closer and flashes her with a smile. "Hi, Liz. I'm Nikita. Nikita Mears."

To be continued..


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, guys. Thanks for taking the time to read and review my stories. I really appreciate it. Sorry for the long wait. I'll try my best to update sooner. And if you're interested, I also just recently started a Shaggie-fic on Tumblr. Feel free to check it out: gimmeshaggie**

xxx

"Hi, Ms. Mears. It's nice to finally meet you," Liz says, reaching her hand for a shake.

"Finally?"

"Yes. You worked with my husband on that murder case recently, right?"

"Right. The name is Nikita. Just call me Nikita," she says, forcing a fake smile. Hearing Liz call Michael her "husband" bothers her. She does not have any feelings for him but rubbing that on her face makes her want Michael even more.

"Well then Nikita and Ryan, I'll get going on. I'm gonna go and surprise Michael with lunch," she says cheerfully.

"That's sweet. Alright, go ahead," Ryan says.

Nikita just nods her head and watches Liz disappear in the hallway. All she can think about right now is Michael. Meeting Liz made this whole thing with Michael a little more challenging, and if there is anything anyone should know about her is her love for challenges.

xxx

Michael is on the phone when he hears a knock on the door..

"I'll talk to you later, Mr. Cohen. I will keep everything we talked about in mind. Thank you."

Another knock..

"Come in," he says, placing the phone back to its base.

"Hi, honey, surprise!"

"Liz? What are you doing here?" he asks, sounding more annoyed than happy.

"I just stopped by to surprise you. I just wanted for us to have lunch together, that's all," she says sadly. "Aren't you glad that I stopped by?"

"It's not that. It's just that I wasn't expecting to see you here, that's all," he explains. "Come here, honey. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like a jerk. I'm just tired," he says, sitting Liz on his lap.

"I'm sorry too for not calling first," she says, kissing Michael softly on the lips.

xxx

After they had lunch, Michael walks Liz to her car. In the parking lot, Michael spots Nikita in her car. He tries to ignore her and pretend like he does not see her but when he sees that she is not alone, his heart begins to race. He becomes restless and Liz quickly senses the sudden change in his behavior. But instead of asking him what is wrong, she simply follows his eyes and to her surprise, she spots two people in a car. She can't recognize the man inside the car but she definitely recognizes the woman. She looks up at Michael and she can see that he is upset. She couldn't figure out why her husband would be upset with the sight of Nikita and that man talking and laughing in the car. "Is my husband jealous?" she thinks to herself. But she quickly erases that thought out of her mind, reminding herself that it is she that Michael loves, and not Nikita. She scolds herself for even thinking that Michael is even capable of doing something so hurtful and deceitful.

Michael notices Liz stiffens up. He glances at her and sees her looking straight at her. He forces himself to smile and kisses her on the forehead, and continue their way to the car.

xxx

Liz drives home with a heavy heart. She feels bad thinking that about her husband but at the same time, she knows her husband more than anyone and she is certain that something is wrong; wrong in their marriage. Her guts tell her that she is on the right track, but a big part of her doesn't want to be right and wishes that this is all just a nightmare. She wants to dig and find as much as she can, but is afraid of what she will find. A part of her wants to stay in denial and pretends like everything is okay and perfect, but seeing her husband get upset over a sight of another woman talking to another man, hurts her beyond belief.

xxx

Nikita enters her office. She is talking on her phone and closes the door behind her, not realizing that someone is standing behind it. As soon as she hangs up the phone, she is quickly grabbed by the waist from behind.

"Who was that?" says the man, in a husky, seductive tone.

"What are you talking about?" she asks, turning around to face him.

"The man you were with in the car," he says, locking his eyes to hers.

She laughs and whispers in his ear, "It's none of your business, Michael."

Michael tightens his grip and pulls her closer. He grips her hips with one hand and uses his other hand to lock the door. Nikita quickly follows his hand and wonders what he will do next. But before she can complete her thought, Michael kisses her and hoists her up on the desk.

They continue kissing passionately. Michael's grip loosens and his hand moves up to work on the buttons of her shirt, while Nikita tries to quickly unbuckle his pants. Both are panting and breathing heavily, hands are shaking from anticipation and lust. But the fun is cut short when someone unexpectedly knocks on the door.

Nikita pushes Michael off of her and straightens herself. She directs Michael to hide under the desk so she can get the door. She brushes her hair one last time with her fingers and opens the door.

"Hi, can I help you?" she says to the assistant.

"Sorry, Ms. Mears but your line is tied and you have a phone call waiting," the assistant explains.

"Give me one second. Who is calling, by the way?"

"It's Mrs. Edwards."

"Mrs. Edwards? I don't know any Mrs. Edwards. Did she tell you what it's about?"

"No, sorry."

"Okay. I'll be right there. And can you call someone to fix my line so I don't have to pick up calls from your desk? Thanks."

xxx

"Hi. This is Nikita. How may I help you?"

"Hi, Nikita. This is Liz Edwards, Michael's wife. We met earlier."

to be continued..


	10. Chapter 10

**Previously..**

**"Hi. This is Nikita. How may I help you?"**

**"Hi, Nikita. This is Liz Edwards, Michael's wife. We met earlier."**

xxx

"Oh, hi, Liz. What can I do for you?" she asks.

"I was just thinking, you and Michael didn't get the chance to celebrate your win properly so I thought I should invite you over for dinner so we can celebrate it."

"Uhm-"

"Michael said you never got to celebrate with them because you had somewhere to be that night."

"Right.."

"I'll make us some delicious meal, what do you say?"

"Um. Liz, I-" she hesitates.

"And we'll have wine," she says, almost begging.

"Alright. I guess dinner and wine won't hurt," she says, forcing a fake laugh.

"Perfect. I'll see you tonight. Does 7:00 work for you?"

"Make it 8:00 just to be sure."

"Okay, got it. See you."

"Bye."

Nikita hangs up and lets out a long, deep sigh. She runs her fingers through her hair and wipes her forehead with her hand. Then she turns around and sees Michael staring right at her from his office.

"Oh, Michael. You are in big trouble. You have no idea," she says to herself.

xxx

Michael gets home and the first thing he notices is the elegant set-up of the dining table. The wine glasses are out along with their most expensive china plates. Several candles are lit in the center of the dining table and Liz is wearing an elegant, black dress.

"Wow, honey. What's the occasion?," he asks, loosening his tie.

"We're having company," she says, with a smirk on her face.

"Oh, yeah? Are you parents in town?" he asks confusedly.

"No. Not my parents."

"Then who?" he asks, removing his shoes and socks.

"Nikita."

Michael face suddenly changes and Liz quickly notices. His face becomes flushed and his voice becomes a little shaky, with him constantly clearing his throat. He looks nervous and Liz can see it.

"Uhm, Nikita?" he asks.

"Yes. Nikita Mears. Your partner," she says, emphasizing the word "partner".

"_Does she know_?" he thinks to himself. "_Does she know about me and Nikita_?"

He quickly brushes off that thought of his mind, and tries to act normal and calm.

"You never told me how hot she was," she teases, giving Michael a devilish smile.

"Uhm. I don't-"

"Come on. You gotta admit, she is hot. I've never met a lawyer as hot as she is. Or at least not anyone you've worked with," she says.

"Where's Hayley?" he asks, changing the subject.

Liz can see how uncomfortable Michael is, and his reaction adds to the fuel of her suspicions. "She's upstairs watching TV."

"I'm going to go get her," he says, making his way out of the kitchen.

xxx

It's a little past 8:00 when the doorbell finally rings. Michael tries to get it but Liz grabs his wrist and insists to get it. Michael's heart is pounding so fast and he is sweating profusely.

"Hi, welcome. You look beautiful," Liz says smiling. "Come on in."

"Thanks, Liz."

Liz leads the way and Nikita follows closely behind.

"Your house is beautiful," she says.

"Thanks."

They walk into the kitchen and Michael quickly sees Nikita. Nikita's wearing an elegant red dress, cut just above her kness. Her hair is in perfect waves and with light make-up on. Michael can't take his eyes off her. "_She looks so beautiful_," he thinks to himself.

"Hi, Michael," she says, flashing him a smile.

Michael finds her smile very sexy and he tries so hard to hide his excitement. He knows Liz is closely watching their interaction so he needs to be very careful.

"Have a seat," says Michael.

Liz watches the two of them very carefully. She pays close attention to their body language: the way they look at each other, the way they talk or the way they glance at each other when she pretends to be not looking.

"Wine?" Liz asks.

"Please."

Nikita sips her wine and quickly glances at Michael. Michael catches that and swallows hard.

"Uhm, Nikita, do you live around here?" Liz asks innocently.

"I don't live too far. Just 20 miles south," she says, sipping her wine.

"Are you married?" she asks, staring straight right into her eyes.

"Um, Liz-" Michael interrupts.

"Oh, sorry, I don't need to intrude," she says.

"That's okay," Nikita says. "I'm not married. Marriage is not for me," she says, glancing at Michael who is looking right at her.

"No?" Liz asks confusedly.

"Uhm, no. I don't like commitments," she says, now looking right at Liz.

She and Liz just stare at each other for a brief moment when Hayley suddenly steps in.

"Hello, Daddy," she says, giving her daddy a kiss and a hug.

"Hi, honey," he says. "I want you to meet Nikita."

Hayley looks at Nikita and gives her a big smile. "Hi. I like your name," she says.

Nikita smiles, "Thanks, sweetheart. What's your name?" she asks.

"Um, Hayley," she says shyly.

"That's a very beautiful name."

Hayley's cheeks turn red. "Nikita?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"You're very pretty," she says smiling.

"Aww. Thank you. And so are you," she says, leaning down to pinch her cheek.

Liz tries to hide her annoyance. She doesn't know why but that interaction Hayley had with Nikita annoys her so much. And the way she sees Michael smiling kills her. A part of her is insecure of Nikita. Nikita is beautiful, intelligent, financially stable and most of all, single. Liz knows that she can get any man she'd like very easily, including her husband. She used to think Michael was different but seeing him change this past year, makes her doubt that.

xxx

Dinner is finally over and Michael excuses himself to accompany Hayley upstairs and get her ready for bed.

"Thanks for accepting my invitation, Nikita," Liz says.

"It was my pleasure. Thanks for having me."

Nikita keeps glancing at the clock and wonders if Michael will ever go back downstairs. She does not feel comfortable being left alone with Liz this long. As nice as Liz is, she still does not like her. Maybe it's the competition, or perhaps jealousy. Somehow she feels envious of Liz because Liz has something she can never have; a family. Liz is someone she will never be: a wife and a mother. No matter how many times she tells people and herself, deep down she still hopes that someday she meets her prince, settle down with him and have a family. Deep down, she still wants it.

"Liz, I better get going. It's getting kinda late," she says, grabbing her phone and placing it inside her purse.

"Would you like me to get Michael so you can say goodbye?" she asks.

"Oh, no. That won't be necessary. I'll just see him at work tomorrow morning," she says, getting up.

Just as soon as she leaves her seat, Michael shows up wearing just a white t-shirt and pajamas. Nikita scans his body and gazes at him for a second. Michael sees her reaction and it excites him. In her eyes he sees nothing but pure lust. After all, it's been days since he last touched her, and honestly, right now all he wants to do is touch her; touch her real bad.

"You're leaving?," he asks, eyes still fixed on hers.

Liz goes around him and wraps her arms around his waist. She sees Nikita look away, and she feels Michael's body stiffens with her touch.

"So I'll see you tomorrow at work?" she says, making her way out the door.

"Definitely," he says.

"Honey, why don't you walk her to her car?" says Liz.

"Oh, no, I can walk myself, it's fine," says Nikita.

"Don't be silly. Our driveway is dark. Michael hasn't installed the new lights yet so.."

"Yes, let me take you," he offers.

The two of them walk to driveway while Liz stands behind the window, watching them. Nikita walks ahead and Michael follows behind. She reaches her car and turns around to face him.

"Thanks for dinner. Tell your wife I said thanks," she says.

"You're welcome. I will tell her," he says, looking at her slightly-parted lips.

Nikita sees him looking at her lips so she licks her bottom lip and bites it slowly.

"I'll kiss you but your wife is watching so.." she teases quietly.

Michael smiles and keeps his focus on her lips.

"I better get going," she says, opening her car door. "I'll be dreaming about you tonight," she says seductively.

She turns her head toward the window where Liz is hiding, and waves at her goodbye. Liz waves back, not really expecting Nikita to know she's there. Still, she waves goodbye. Nikita drives off and Michael stands there smelling her lingering scent.

xxx

"You invited you husband's partner on the case to dinner last night?" Amanda asks.

"Yes."

"That's good," she says. "Why do you look upset?"

Liz stays quiet. She seems so lost in her thoughts that Amanda has to snap her finger to get her attention.

"What's the matter, Liz?" she asks.

"Remember when I told you that Michael might be cheating on me?" she says, tears forming in her eyes.

"Yes," she says with concern.

"I think he is having an affair with her," she cries.

"What? With his partner?" she asks confusedly.

"Yes."

"Liz, honey, are you sure?"

"Amanda, you should have seen the way they looked at each other last night. The way they glanced at one another, the way they smiled. Everything!" she says sobbing.

"Honey, maybe you're mistaken. Maybe you're just reading too much into it and it really means nothing," she says, comforting Liz.

"No, Amanda. Michael is my husband and I know him more than anybody. Seeing him with her, the way he looked at her, I know fora fact that something is going on between them."

"If you're really sure then what are going to do about it?"

"I don't know! I don't know!" she says, hands on her face.

"Come here, honey. Come here," she says, hugging her tightly.

"I don't want him to know that I know anything. I want to catch them in the act. I don't want to give him a chance to deny it."

xxx

Nikita decides not to go to work today. After last night, she doesn't really feel like being around people. She calls in and tells Ryan that she isn't feeling well. She gets in the shower and turns on the hot water. The water is almost burning her skin but it doesn't seem to bother her. All she can ever think about since last night is Michael. "What the fuck is this?" she thinks to herself. "Why are you even wasting your time thinking about this man?" Then the sound of the doorbell snaps her out of it. She quickly rinses her hair, and grabs a robe. She then heads downstairs and checks who it is.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

Michael scans her body. Her hair is wet and water is dripping on her robe. All he can think about right now is her naked body underneath that robe.

"You didn't go to work and I got worried so I thought I should check up on you," he says, making his way inside the house.

As soon as Nikita closes the door, Michael immediately grabs her and smashes his lips on hers. He kisses her so passionately and so roughly, and Nikita does the same. He crashes her to the wall, then his right hand makes its way inside the robe and finds her breasts. He roughly squeezes her breast and moves his mouth to her neck, biting it. He unbuckles his belt and he rids her of her robe so she is now being pushed on the wall, fully naked. Usually she is the one in control but right now she allows Michael to take the lead and be in control. And frankly, she loves the rough Michael. He raises one of her legs and wraps it around his hip, then he enters her and starts pounding her really hard and fast.

xxx

Michael gets back to work and heads straight to his office. He reaches his office and opens the door..

"Where have you been? I've been waiting for you for almost 2 hours now."

**to be continued**..


	11. Chapter 11

"I just met with a client," he says, walking towards her to give her a kiss.

Liz wants to say something else but feeling her husband's soft lips on her lips makes her forget everything. She had missed those lips. She had missed all the times he would just kiss her and cuddle with her. His tight embrace, the endless 'i love you's'. Everything. She misses everything about her husband.

"Why don't I take my beautiful wife out to lunch, huh? What do you say, Mrs. Edwards?" he says smiling.

On his drive to work from Nikita's house, Michael had a sudden feeling of guilt. He felt horrible about everything he's done. He knows what he's been doing with Nikita is wrong, and he is well aware of the consequences and what he could lose if this dark secret is exposed. Then all of a sudden, he realized how much he had missed his wife. How much he's been neglecting her and their daughter, and how stupid he's been to allow another woman into his life, into their marriage. Somehow, he wanted to make it all better. He wanted to make it up to Liz.

"Of course, I'd love to have lunch with my husband," Liz says, kissing him on the lips.

xxx

Percy is busy reviewing some documents when Michael knocks on his door.

"Do you have a minute, sir?" asks Michael.

"Yes, come on in. What can I do for you, Michael?"

"I was wondering if I could take a family leave for 3 weeks? I've been working hard for the past year and so, I figured I'd make it up to my wife and little girl. Take them on a short trip or something like that," he explains.

Percy takes a moment to think. "You know what, I think you should. You worked your butt of with the Smith case, you could use a little break," he says smiling.

"Thanks, Percy!" he says excitedly.

"You're welcome. Now go and book that trip. Say hi to Liz and Hayley for me."

"I will. Thank you!"

xxx

Liz is gardening and does not hear Michael sneak behind her. He wraps his arms around her and hugs her tightly. She turns around and is surprised to see Michael.

"Honey?"

Michael immediately kisses her lips. "Hi, honey. Surprised?" he says smiling.

"What are you doing here?" she asks confusedly.

"Well, I'm done," he says with a playful grin.

"You're done for today?"

"For three weeks, honey. I filed for a 3-week family leave and you, me and Haley are going to the Bahamas for a vacation!" he says, picking up Liz and turning her around. He puts her down on her feet and hugs her tightly.

"Are you serious? Is this for real, Michael?" she asks, eyes teary.

"Yes, honey. I've already planned everything. I booked our flight for tomorrow morning," he says, caressing her cheek. "I've been a lousy husband lately and I want to make it up to you."

Liz couldn't help but cry. She cries and hugs Michael really tightly. Michael hugs her back and a tear escapes his eye. He knows he had messed up. Taking them on this vacation is nothing and could not erase everything he's done. But to him, this is a good start.

xxx

Nikita gets to the office and is quickly greeted by Owen and Ryan.

"Goodmorning, Ms. Hottie," says Owen.

"Oh, shut up," she barks at him.

"Sorry," Owen says, looking down.

"Hi, Nikita. How are you feeling?" asks Ryan.

"Feeling much better, thanks," she says looking around. "I'm surprised Attorney goody-two-shoes isn't here yet," she teases.

"Micheal? Well, he's not coming today. He's on a 3-week leave. I think he's taking his family to the Bahamas," says Ryan.

Nikita suddenly feels sick to her stomach. How can Michael do this to her? He came over to see her yesterday and even fucked her in her living room, and now he's taking his wife to the Bahamas? Hell, no!

She excuses herself and heads straight to her office. Her heart is pounding really fast and she is feeling this strong rage within her. A feeling she is not familiar with. She has never felt this way before. She usually is the one to cause such feelings to guys. She usually is the one to walk away and leave without saying a word. She has never been in this position.

xxx

Michael, Liz and Hayley spend the afternoon snorkeling in the beautiful ocean. He and Liz sit on the sand and sip coconut juice, while they watch Hayley make a sand castle.

"Are you having fun, honey?" asks Michael.

"I'm having a marvelous time," she says, pulling him for a kiss. "I wish we could stay like this forever," she says, tears threatening to fall.

Michael can clearly see the pain in her eyes and it pains him to know that he is the one who caused it.

"Things will be better, hun, I promise," he says, holding her tightly and kissing the side of her head.

Liz closes her eyes and smiles. "I love you, Michael."

"I love you, too, Liz."

xxx

Nikita does not show up at her weekly date with Alex and Alex tries to call her several times but she doesn not pick up. Alex suddenly becomes worried. Ever since they were kids, Nikita has always been on time. She's someone who never misses appointments, ever. So when she calls her and she doesn't pick up, she knew right away something was wrong. She drives straight to Nikita's house and sees her car parked in the driveway. She climbs the stairs and knocks on the front door. When she doesn't answer, she goes behind the large vase and retrieves the hidden key. She opens the door and sees Nikita's shoes and purse laying on the floor.

"Nikita? Are you here?" she calls out.

She continues her way upstairs to Nikita's bedroom, and she is not there. She heads back downstairs to the kitchen and finds her sitting at the table. She is wearing a robe and her hair is a mess. She has a cigarette on one hand and a glass of gin on the other.

"Oh, my God, Nikita! What happened? You're a mess!" says Alex.

Nikita does not answer. She smokes her cigarette and drinks her gin straight. Alex walks over to her and wraps her arms around her.

"Sweetie, talk to me. What happened?" she says concerned.

"Mich-Michael," she finally says, voice almost inaudible.

"Michael?" she asks confusedly.

"Yes! That son-of-a-bitch!" she says angrily. "That fucking son-of-a-bitch!

"What happened? What did he do?"

"He took his wife to the Bahamas!"

"What?"

"After fucking me in my living room, he went behind my back and took that bitch on a vacation!"

"Nikita, she is his wife," she says, trying to reason with her.

"I don't give a fuck!"

"Niki-"

"He's mine, Alex. Fuck it!," she screams. She takes another glass of gin, "Michael is mine! Do you hear me?"

"Nikita, he's married."

"Get the fuck out!"

"What?" she asks suprised.

"Just leave me alone, Alex," she says, but this time, her voice is calmer and softer.

Alex walks up to her and kisses her on the cheek. For all the years she's known Nikita, she has never seen her like this. She has never seen her fall apart, certaintly not over a guy. Then it hits her. _**Nikita is in love with Michael**_. "I'll call you."

xxx

Michael returns to work after 3 weeks. He feels and looks great. He enters the building and greets everyone he sees. Then he gets to his floor, and as soon as the elevator doors open, his eyes automatically drifts to Nikita's office. He tries so hard to ignore her and everything that has anything to do with her. He walks pass her office and sees her talking on the phone in the corner of his eyes. He knew Nikita saw him but she doesn't even try to take a second look at him. And oddly, that hurts him a little. It hurts him to see that she doesn't care one bit.

He managed to get through the day withouth having to deal with Nikita. She herself seems to be distancing herself from him, which he does not know how to really feel about it. I guess a part of him wants her to chase him, or show some interest or little emotion. And seeing none, hurts his feelings and ego beyond words.

xxx

He is on his way back to his office when he passes the employee lounge and sees Nikita standing in front of the mirror, fixing her make-up. She doesn't see him but he sees her every move. "_God, she looks beautiful_," he thinks to himself. But he fights the urge and walks away. He tries to keep himself busy to get his mind off her, and he tries to stay in his office so he wouldn't have to see her.

An hour later, he is finally done with work. He walks out of the building and walks over to the parking lot. Then he sees her. He sees her and she is not alone. She sees her hop into another man's car. This infuriates him. Suddenly, he feels jealousy taking over him. The thought of another man touching her and kissing her is driving him dangerously mad. The thought of her being with someone else drives him crazy. His possessiveness and obsession with her is all coming back and is now becoming difficult and impossible to control. He has to see her. He needs to see her.

xxx

Nikita and Collin, a guy she met from a bar the previous night, arrive at her place. They make a quick stop at her place to change so they can grab dinner and go clubbing afterwards.

Nikita runs upstairs while Collin stays in the living room. Then a few minutes later, the doorbell rings.

"Can you get that for me, please?" yells Nikita, voice echoing in the house.

Collin walks over to the door and opens it.

"Hi. Can I help you?" he asks.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I need to speak to Nikita," says Michael, eyes burning with anger.

"She's upstairs changing," he replies, looking a bit confused.

"Changing?" he says angrily. He pushes Collin and runs upstairs to Nikita's bedroom.

Nikita is wearing a short, black dress and is about to put on her shoes when her door suddenly busts open.

"What the fuck?!" she says.

"What are you doing? Who is that guy?" he says, grabbing her by the elbow.

"Get the fuck off me! Don't you fucking touch me, Michael!" she warns.

Michael does not let go off her, instead, he grabs both of shoulder and grips them tightly. His face is only inches away, "Who the fuck is that guy?" he yells, lips inches away from hers.

"None of your fucking business!" she yells, yanking herself out of his grip. "Now leave!"

"Leave?" he says, taking a few steps closer.

Nikita turns around and heads to her dresser to grab her earrings. "Yes, get the hell out!"

"Oh, yeah?" he says angrily. He grabs her waist from behind and hold her tightly, almost squeezing the life out of her.

"Get off of me!" she says, trying to escape his tight grip.

He holds her even tighter and starts kissing the back of her neck aggressively. "You're not going anywhere, Nikita! Do you hear me?! You're mine!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello, guys. Thank you again for taking the time to read and review my stories. Your kind words are appreciated**.

xxx

"You're not going anywhere, Nikita. Do you hear me?! You're mine!" he says, arms tightly wrapped around her waist.

Nikita struggles to free herself from his grip. "Get the fuck off me, Michael!"

"No! You're not going out with him! You're mine!," he yells angrily. He places wet kisses on Nikita's exposed skin; eyes closed and hands shaking.

Nikita laughs. "I am not yours, Michael. Never was," still struggling to free herself.

He drags Nikita to the dresser and bends her slightly, then slips one hand under her dress, and tries to rid her of her underwear. Then he turns her around to face him and wraps one of her legs around his waist.

"Michael, get off!" warns Nikita, pushing him off her.

He moves forward, lips almost touching hers. "Why? Tell me, am I not good enough for you anymore?" he says angrily.

"Damn, right! Never were, never will be," she says, eyes fixed on Michael's.

Michael grabs her neck and crashes his lips on hers violently and aggressively. He kisses her roughly and smashes her to the nearest wall. Then Nikita pushes him off and slaps him across the face.

"Get the fuck out!" she yells angrily. "Don't you fucking touch me again! Go home and fuck Liz! I'm sure you've already fucked her enough in the Bahamas," she says bitterly.

"You are not going out with that guy," he warns.

"Oh, yeah? What are you going to do about it?" she says, taking a few steps closer. "You don't own me, Michael. I don't know about you but the last time I checked, we were not together," she says, grabbing her shoes and making her way out the door.

Michael wants to stop her from leaving. He can't stand the idea of her spending the night with another guy. But yet, he knows he does not have the right to stop her. She was right, they are not together. And to hear those words come out of her mouth, hurts him more than he had expected.

xxx

Michael gets home and is greeted by Hayley, who is just getting ready for bed. Liz kisses Michael and immediately she can sense that something is wrong.

She places one hand on his cheek, "Honey, are you alright? Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I'm just a little tired from work, that's all," he says; voice soft, almost inaudible.

"Sorry to hear that, hun. Would you like me to fix you some dinner?"

"No, it's okay. I'm not hungry. I'll just go upstairs and rest. Do you mind?" he asks, not looking at her.

"Of course not. Go ahead. I'll just put Hayley to bed and I'll meet you there."

Liz watches Michael climb the stairs. She can tell something is bothering him. No matter how hard she tries to fight it, her mind still takes her to Nikita. Things have been great between her and Michael these past few weeks and watching Michael leave home this morning to go to work, made her feel scared more than anything. Scared because she knows that the minute he gets to work, Nikita would be there. And now, seeing Michael come home from work like this, worries her even more. She wonders if his current mood and behavior have anything to do with Nikita. She has seen firsthand the effect this woman has on her husband.

xxx

Michael steps out of the shower. He puts on a gray t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. Even a long, hot shower cannot wash away the jealousy and terrible feelings he has been having throughout the night. He sits in bed and grabs his cellphone. He dials Nikita's number, hoping that she'd pick up. He calls but it just keeps ringing. He calls again, and again, she does not pick up. He is getting angrier and angrier as minutes pass. He keeps imagining what she and the other guy are doing. And when he imagines her getting home with that guy and ending up in bed, he clenches his fist in anger.

Liz enters the bedroom and walks up to Michael. She stands behind him and massages his back. Michael closes his eyes and tries to breathe steadily. He knows he has no right nor a reason to react the way he does. In fact, he is even ashamed of it. But somehow, when it comes to Nikita, he loses control. When it comes to her he loses his principles, his values and his morals. It's like being with her, being able to touch her and be with her, makes it all worth it. As much as he loves his wife and kid, when he is around Nikita, nothing else seems to matter. Could it be because of lust? Possibly. Could it be for the thrill? Maybe. Could it be that he is falling in love with her? No. No way. It can't be. He just met her. He barely knows this woman. He cannot fall in love with this woman. He just can't.

Liz continues to massage him, then she slides her hands inside his shirt and tries to kiss his neck. He quickly pulls away.

"Liz, please, I'm very tired," he says. Pulling his shirt back down and crawls under the sheets.

Liz stands there, stunned. "I'm sorry," she says, fighting back the tears.

Michael doesn't even move. She isn't even sure if he heard her at all or if he is just trying to ignore her. She walks over to him and kisses his cheek, "Goodnight, hun." Then she turns off the light and slips under the sheets next to him, pretending this whole thing never happened.

xxx

Michael did not get much sleep the previous night. He kept calling and calling Nikita but she never picked up.

He leaves the house early for work and instead of heading there straight, he decides to turn around and drive to Nikita's house. He gets there and the first thing he notices is the driveway; there are two cars parked in the driveway. One is Nikita's and the other one is the same one he saw parked there the day before. "_That son-of-a-bitch! He spent the night with her!_" he thinks to himself. He suddenly becomes infuriated. A lot of things are going through his head about what could possibly have happened between her and the guy, and none of them are good. He smashes his hand on the steering wheel and speeds off.

xxx

It's been such a busy morning that Michael had managed to get his mind off Nikita. He's been so busy dealing with clients and documents that he didn't notice if she had come to work at all. He gets out of his office and immediately finds her walking down the hall with Ryan. He stands there and Ryan spots him and waves. He waves back and looks at Nikita, who continues to talk and does not even bother to look in his direction.

They finish talking and Nikita heads back to her office. Michael waits a few minutes before he follows her. He knocks but does not wait for an answer..

"Nikita, can we talk?" he asks, voice calm and gentle.

"I'm busy, Michael," she says, reading the transcripts.

"Did you sleep with him?" he blurts out.

"What?" she asks.

"You heard me," he says, anger taking over him.

"It's none of your business!" she snaps. "What I do with my personal life, is none of your goddamn business!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes! We are not together, Michael! I don't know if you realize that."

"Nikita, please-"

"Please what, Michael?" she says, now looking him straight in the eye.

"Let's talk. I just want to talk."

Suddenly, someone knocks on the door.

"Come in," Nikita yells out.

"Hi. Mrs. Flannigan is waiting for you right outside. Should I tell her to just come back later?" asks the assistant.

"No, I'll be there in a sec," she says, getting up from her seat.

xxx

It's Friday night and Michael's brother flew in from New York for a week visit. Liz cooks her famous pot roast for dinner and bakes blueberry pie for dessert. Michael is very close to his brother. They grew up as bestfriends and were inseparable. But they were forced to live their separate lives when Michael got married and his brother got a job in New York.

"Mommy! I'm hungry," says Hayley.

"I know, hun. Almost ready. Go to the garage and call Daddy and Uncle Birkhoff. Tell them dinner is almost ready."

"Okay, Mommy."

A few minutes later, the three of them arrive at the table.

"That smells so good, Liz," says Birkhoff.

"Only for my favorite brother-in-law," she teases.

Liz looks at Michael, who seems to be lost in thoughts. "You okay, honey?" she asks.

"Yeah, hun. Just tired."

"I know, Liz, what's the about? Have you been feeding this boy? He's been extremely quiet," Birkhoff says playfully.

Liz forces a fake smile and Birkhoff quickly senses the tension between his brother and his sister-in-law.

xxx

After dinner, Michael and Birkhoff head out to the backyard while Liz takes Hayley upstairs to bed.

Birkhoff can tell something is wrong with his brother. After all, he knows him better than anyone.

"Are you okay, bro?" he asks, concerned.

"Yeah, just tired, that's all," he says, avoiding his gaze.

"Mike, you can talk to me. You know that, right?"

"Yes, I know," he says, looking down.

"What's bothering you?"

Michael doesn't answer. A part of him wants to tell his brother about what he is going through, but a part of him just wants to keep it to himself because he is ashamed of it.

"Is your marriage in trouble?" asks Birkhoff.

If there's anything Michael admires most about his brother is his ability to read other people like an open book, especially Michael.

"Birkhoff," he pauses. "I don't know what to do," he admits.

"Please tell me you're not having an affair," he asks, trying to search his eyes for answers.

"Uhm. I, um-"

"Are you, Michael?"

Michael does not answer. He puts his hands on his head and looks down, sighing deeply. He can lie and hide the truth from other people but never from Birkhoff, even if he wanted to.

"Mike, who is she?" he asks, with sadness in his voice.

"This woman I work with," he finally says.

"How long?"

"We're not together. I have slept with her several times but we have no relationship" he says, with a hint of both desperation and disappointment in his voice.

"But you want there to be?" he asks, trying to listen and analyze his brother's answers.

"Birkhoff- I, um, I don't know. When I saw her with another guy the other day I-I don't know."

"Tell me the truth, are you in love with this woman?"

"No! Of course not. I love Liz" he says, trying to convince himself more than he is trying to convince his brother. "She is just a woman I fucked but it meant nothing; she meant nothing."

"Is that why you're so worked up about it? Is that why you're sitting here upset, instead of being in there with your wife and little girl?" he says, words cut through Michael like a knife.

"I, uh-"

"Look, whatever it is, you have to end it, and you have to end it soon. If Liz finds out, this is going to devastate her. You're married, Michael. You can't be married and fool around with other women."

"Woman, Birkhoff. Just Nikita," he clarifies.

"Oh, Nikita. Is that her name? Well, brother, guess what? It doesn't matter. You can't be with Liz and be with this Nikita. Don't hurt your wife and your daughter over some woman you barely know. It's not worth it, bro."

Before Michael can ever say another word, the door opens and both of them turn around and see Liz holding a tray with 3 cups of coffee.

"Did I interrupt anything?"

xxx

It's been 2 weeks since he last talked to Nikita. He's been trying so hard to ignore her and follow his brother's advice. His brother had already flown back to New York, and things with him and Liz have been great.

He and some of his colleagues are going on 5-day seminar to Hawaii. He gets to the airport and is surprised to see Nikita there, dressed in a long, maxi dress, hair tied in a ponytail. She does not see him because she is too busy reading her book. He can't help but stare. He has never seen her wear anything so simple, with less make-up on, and yet, still look beautiful and sexy. Then she looks up and sees him. Surprisingly, she smiles at him and his heart skips a beat.

He boards the plane and finds his seat. A few minutes later, he locates his seat and sees Nikita sitting right next to it. His mouth drops open. Even Nikita appears to be just as surprised as he is.

"I guess we're seat buddies," she says playfully.

"I guess so," he replies, placing his bag on the top cabinet.

He takes a seat and is immediately greeted by a familiar scent. He closes his eyes and breathes in the scent. God, he had missed that scent. He had missed her; more than he'd like to admit. Then, unexpectedly, their elbows touched. This skin-to-skin contact, though brief and minimal, sent shivers down their spines. It's been weeks since they touched each other, and no matter how hard they try to pretend that they mean nothing to one another, their bodies cannot lie. Nikita looks up and meets Michael's gaze. They gaze at each other for a moment, then without warning, Michael leans down and kisses her and she kisses him back. Unlike the previous kisses they have shared in the past, this kiss is passionate and gentle. When they pull away, they immediately stare into each other's eyes, trying to search for answers.

"I've missed you, Nikita," he says.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello,** **NikitaPerves**!** Haha! Here's the update. Thanks again for the reviews and for taking the time to read my stories. Enjoy. Let me know what you think. **

**xxx**

Liz has been worried since Michael left for Hawaii. She is worried that Nikita might be attending the seminar with him. She is not ashamed to admit it, she is threatened by Nikita and the effect she has on Michael, and what she can do to their marriage. As she drives to the office, she comes across a song in the radio and it suddenly brings back memories; early memories with Michael. She remembers how he used to be; how in love he was with her, and how his world revolved around her. She remembers all the promises he made and kept, and how much he had taken care of her as if she was the most important thing in the world. She remembers the night she told him she was pregnant. The way he jumped up and down like a little kid. She remembers the smile he had on his face when he said "I do" and the day he had held Hayley in his arms for the first time. That Michael is gone. A tear escapes her eye. She turns off the radio and begins to sob uncontrollably.

She pulls up in the parking lot and quickly walks inside the building, heart pounding very fast. "_God, please, keep her away from Michael. I'm begging you_," she thinks to herself. She reaches the 2nd floor and is quickly greeted by Percy, who is standing by the elevators.

"Liz, how are you? It's so good to see you," Percy says.

"Hi, Percy. How is it going?" she says, scanning the place for Nikita.

"So what brings you here?"

"I was just looking for Ms. Mears. I just need to ask her about something. Is she here?" she asks nervously.

"Sorry, Liz. But Nikita is not here. She went to that seminar with Michael and other lawyers," he explains.

Her heart drops.** THEY ARE TOGETHER**. Her heart is now pounding faster than it was a minute ago, and she feels her legs go weak. "Oh, is she? That's too bad. I'll just come back then when she's here," she says, trying her best to sound as normal and calm as possible.

She makes it back to her car and immediately grabs her cellphone to call Michael. She dials his number and it goes straight to voicemail.

"Honey, it's me. Can you call me when you get this? Please. I love you."

xxx

The first day of seminar just ended and Michael glances at Nikita, who is standing across the room, busy searching her purse for something. He walks up behind her.

"Hi. Busy?" he asks.

She turns around. "Oh, hi. No. I was just looking for my hotel room key."

"Listen, uhm, would you like to have dinner with me?" he asks smiling.

"Uhm-"

"My treat," he says playfully.

Nikita smiles at him and scratches her head. "Fine. You said the magic words. As long as you're paying," she teases.

Michael laughs. "I'm paying, don't worry. You can even get desserts, too," he jokes.

"Alright. Fine. Meet me at the lobby at 7:00."

"I'll see you at 7:00," he says, winking his left eye.

xxx

It's 6:50 pm and Michael is anxious to get downstairs and see Nikita. He's been in Hawaii now for a day but he hasn't even thought about calling his wife. He checks himself one last time in the mirror and heads out. He gets to the lobby and takes the empty seat near the water fountain. It is now 6:58 and he is getting more and more anxious. He loosens his tie a little bit and grabs the newpapers on the nearby table. Then the elevator door opens before he even gets the chance to open the newspaper. His eyes automatically go to the direction of the elevators, and to his surprise, Nikita is already making her way to him. She is wearing a red, tight mini dress and a pair of black flat, pointy shoes. Her hair perfectly curled, wearing just the right amount of make-up and a red lipstick. She looked very simple, but yet very beautiful and elegant. Michael can't take his eyes off her.

"What are you staring at?" she asks playfully.

"Nothing. You just look beautiful," he says, eyes still fixed on her face.

"Are you going to buy me dinner or are you just going to stare at me all night until I melt?" she teases.

"Right. Sorry. Let's go?"

xxx

Michael drives in the city and passes all the nice restaurants. Nikita sits next to him in the passenger seat and looks a little worried and confused.

"Are we almost there? Where are we going?" she asks impatiently.

"Relax, Ms. Mears. We're almost there," he says playfully.

"We passed all the restaurants. We're are you taking us?"

"Just wait and see."

30 minutes later they finally arrive at their destination. Michael had driven them on top of the hill, overlooking the pacific ocean. The moon is shining brightly and the weather is cool and perfect. Michael steps out first then goes around to open Nikita's door.

"What is this? What are we doing here? I thought we were having dinner?" she asks confusedly.

"We are. We are having dinner here."

"Here?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. Here," he answers, opening the trunk of his car.

He pulls out a basket, a bottle of wine, two wine glasses, 2 candles and a bouquet of red roses. He puts a blanket on the top of the hood of the car and places the basket there, then walks over to Nikita and hands her the flowers.

"Thank you," she says, smelling the roses.

He does not say anything but instead he smiles and goes back to preparing everything. He had packed some cheese and crackers, some salad and some vegetarian pasta, which he had prepared himself earlier that evening. He lights up the candles and places the wine glasses down. He arranges everything neatly in the center so he and Nikita will have enough space to sit on.

He walks up to Nikita and grabs her hand, then he assists her on top of the then sits on the other side and opens the bottle of wine. "Wine?" he asks.

"Please," she says.

He pours her some wine and then he starts taking the food out of the basket.

"Mmm..crackers and cheese. I like that," she says smiling.

Michael can't help but smile. For the first time since he met Nikita, now is the only time that he has seen her relax and act comfortably. She usually puts on a mask and only show people a sarcastic, mean side of her. But he knows deep down that there is so much more to her. That the person she portrays herself to be, is not the real Nikita. Somehow, he sees right through her.

"So tell me something about yourself," he says, trying to lighten up the mood.

"You want to know something about me?" she asks, pursing her lips.

"Yes. Anything," he replies eagerly.

"Well, I'm a Gemini," she says playfully.

Michael laughs. "And so am I," he teases back.

"Oh, good. Now we finally have something in common."

"I mean, where are you originally from? Where are your family?"

"Oh, those kinds of questions? Okay. Well, I'm originally from New York and moved out of state for college. Um, I don't have a family. My mom died a few years ago, and my dad left us for another woman when I was 10," she says coldly.

Michael looks at her. Her eyes are filled with sorrow, but he can see her fighting it. "I'm sorry," he finallys says.

"It's okay. It's no big deal," she says, sipping her wine.

"Why aren't you married? Or with anyone?" he asks curiously.

"Well, let's see. I don't trust men," she answers bitterly. "I don't want to be like my mother; so weak and such a martyr."

"Niki-"

"Can I have some of that pesto? I wanna see how great of a cook you are," she says, changing the subject.

Michael does not push the topic, and instead, he gives Nikita a warm smile and hands her a plate of pasta.

"Thank you."

xxx

They finally finished eating dinner, and Michael have put away everything except for the wine and candles. It was a great dinner; they talked, they laughed, they swapped stories. Both of them had a great time. After over an hour of nonstop chitchat, the two of them fall silent. Both just admiring the night and scenery. Michael leans his back on the windshield and puts both arms in the back of his head. He stares at the night sky with a smile on his face. Then he looks over to Nikita and she, too, has a smile on her face. She sips her wine and looks down on Michael. She sees him staring at her. They gaze at each other, wanting to say something but neither has the courage to say it. Maybe because both of them are unsure of what it is they really want to say or how they truly feel. Both of them are aware that they are falling someplace deep.

Michael suddenly pulls Nikita down to lay next to him. She does not hesitate. He takes her and wraps her around his arms. Neither of them say anything, perhaps both are afraid to ruin the moment. They lay there silently, just staring at the night sky. Michael closes his eyes and holds her tightly, as if afraid to let her go. Then she places her hands on top of his arms, tightening the hold even more. Then, Nikita turns to face him. She stares right into his eyes and he does the same. He caresses her cheek and brushes his fingers through her hair very briefly. He scans her face throroughly, as if trying to remember every single detail of and on her face.

"Kiss me," she says in a soft, gentle tone.

Michael does not hesitate. He moves forward and kisses her lips gently. He pulls away and looks into her eyes.

"Thank you," she says.

He smiles and wraps her back into his arms, and they continue to watch the sky.

xxx

They arrive back at the hotel and Michael walks Nikita up to her room. They reach her room and they stand in front of the door.

"Thanks for tonight," she says.

"It was my pleasure," he says smiling.

The two of them stand there, staring at each other. This feeling is very new to Nikita. She has never felt this way before about anybody.

Then she breaks the silence. "Do you want to come in?" she asks nervously.

"Please," he replies, feeling just as nervous as she is.

She struggles to find her hotel key in her purse. She finally finds it and opens the door. She goes in first, and Michael follows closely behind. She closes the door and the two them do not move any further. Instead, they stand there in front of the door, and stare at each other, just like what they have been doing all night. Then Michael reaches over and brushes her hair off her face. Nikita closes her eyes and grabs his hand that is behind her ear. She grabs it and places it against her cheek. Michael pulls his hand away and places it and the other hand on the side of her neck, which causes Nikita to open her eyes.

"Michael," she says, searching his eyes.

He doesn't say anything but instead he kisses her. He kisses her gently and she kisses him right back. They continue to kiss, not wanting to rush this moment. He kisses her gently and rubs her back. She brushes his hair with her fingers, and keeps the other hand on the back of his neck. Unlike the kisses they shared in the past, this kiss is gentle, slow and passionate. Unlike their previous encounters where it was frantic and clothes were flying across the room, tonight they are taking things slow and cherishing every moment. Michael slowly leads them to the bed, where they end up sitting on the edge. They continue to kiss slowly and passionately, and Michael slowly pulls down the straps of her dress. And in return, Nikita begins to slowly unbutton his shirt. He gently lays her down on the bed, not breaking the kiss. He pulls away and hovers over her. He looks into her eyes and caresses her cheek.

"You look so beautiful," he whispers.

She reaches up to kiss him on the lips and quickly pulls away.

"Make love to me, Michael," she says, eyes fixed on his.

**MAKE LOVE TO ME.** Those are the words that she had never used before. To her, sex is just pleasure. It doesn't need to involve love or emotions. Maybe because she has never felt it personally. She has never felt any real connection or attachment to a man. But Michael is different. He makes her feel alive and when he looks at her, she feels like as if she is the only thing that matters in the world. Like she is some precious diamond, or something.

He kisses her again and allows his hand to gently and slowly explore her body. Her breathing becomes more heavy and labored as his fingertips caress her delicate skin. His lips leave hers and travel down her neck. He kisses her neck gently, taking the time to breathe in her scent. Then he kisses his way behind her ears, "You are so beautiful. So beautiful," he whispers, breathing heavily with eyes closed. She pulls his head to face her and his eyes snap open. She gazes at him, eyes full of passion and emotion. "Hold me, please," she pleads. In her eyes he sees loneliness, fear and vulnerability.

He captures her lips and kisses her passionately. He pulls down her underwear with his left hand, parts her legs with his knee and slowly enters her. Nikita takes a deep breath as he enters her, and bites her lower lip. He moves in and out slowly, taking his time to feel every inch of her. She is in no rush, either. For the first time, she feels something more than just lust. For the first time she feels connected and wanted for more than just her body. She has never been touched this way, nor has she ever touched any man this way, either. Tonight is gentle and slow, just exactly the way they want it. Then, as if he can read her mind, he changes his pace. He begins to thrust faster and harder, going as deeper into her as humanly possible. He looks down on her and sees her clutching the sheets with eyes closed and mouth slightly open. Her moans are like music to his ears, urging him to go faster, harder and deeper. Then he flips them and places her on top of him. He unclasps her bra and he quickly pulls himself up a little to kiss her breasts. Both of them are sweating profusely and their skin are warm and flushed. He grips her hips tightly and guides her movement. She starts off slow, sighing deeply as she goes. Her pace quickens as seconds pass, and his tight grip on her hips enhances the rhythm of her movement, and intensifies the pleasure that is building up. They both know that she is nearing her climax so Michael props himself using his elbows and sits up, leaning his back on the headboard. He captures Nikita's lips and kisses her deeply and passionately as she continues to move up and down. He can hear and feel her moans inside his mouth, and it makes him grow harder than he possibly could. He buries his face on the side of her neck, holding on to her very tightly. He knows that he, too, is reaching his climax. She moans louder this time, breathing heavily and deeply. Her nails are roughly digging into his skin. "Michael," she moans, voice almost muffled. He grips her hips even tighter and slams her hard on him over and over until she screams his name out loudly and digs her nails deeply into his skin. He feels her contract around him and within seconds, he reaches his orgasm. He moans her name loudly and bites her shoulder roughly.

He holds her limp body and brings her closer to him. She places her head on his bare chest and kisses the exposed skin. They remain silent and listen to the sound of their heartbeat and breathing. He hold her tightly and kisses her head. Tonight, she is all that matters to him.

xxx

Michael wakes up at the crack of dawn. His arms are still wrapped around Nikita's naked body. Her face is buried in his neck, and arms crossed across her chest. He brushes her hair off her face and stares at her face. Even in this state, she still looks beautiful in his eyes. He listens to her breathing and watches her sleep peacefully. He cannot believe that he is holding her right now. He kisses the side of her head and waits for her to move. A part of him wants her to wake up so he can see those beautiful eyes stare at him once again. When she does not move, he presses a gentle kiss on her lips. Still, she does not move, and Michael can't help but chuckle when he realizes that she is a deep sleeper. She rolls over and lays on her chest, exposing her naked back to him. Michael rolls over and hover on top of her. He trails kisses down her naked back and stops the kiss at the back of her neck. He brushes her hair out to the side and moves his lips near her ear. "Goodmorning, beautiful," he says, kissing her ear.

She opens her eyes and turns her body around. "What time is it?" she says in a sleepy voice.

"Very early," he says, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"How early?"

"4? 5?"

"Michael!" she says whining.

He laughs and captures her lips. He kisses her passionately and quickly pulls away.

"Come on. Open your eyes," he says excitedly.

"No. Go back to sleep," she says, whining like a little kid, which Michael finds extremely funny and sexy at the same time.

"It's morning."

"But the sun isn't even up yet," she says, eyes still closed.

He crawls on top of her and begins to kiss her inner thighs. "Oh, yeah? Then I guess I'll have to work a little harder to get you up," he says seductively. He sucks the skin in her inner thigh and hears her breathe deeply.

"This is rape, Michael," she says playfully, voice is hoarse.

"Then sue me," he says, sliding his tongue lightly on her labia.

She whimpers and pushes his head off. He pulls away and carries her naked body out of bed and takes her to the couch by the window.

"Hey!" she whines, finally awake.

He lays her down on the couch and spreads her legs apart.

He smiles down on her. "Goodmorning," he says in a lustful tone.

"Okay, you win. I'm up. What now?" she says, pushing him off her.

He gets off her and pulls her up on her feet. "Let's walk on the beach," he says smiling. As annoyed as she is with him right now, she can't help but be amazed. Not only is he charming but he is also sweet and spontaneous. Qualities that she has not seen before, or did not bother to notice in a man.

"Sounds perfect," she says, placing a kiss on his lips before turning away.

xxx

The sun is finally out and the two of them make their way out of the hotel. Michael is dressed in a white t-shirt, a pair of beach shorts and sandals. While Nikita is wearing a long skirt and just a swimming bra on top, with a stylish hat that is huge enough to cover her entire face. They walk into the lobby when out of nowhere a guy from the front desk approches them.

"Mr. Edwards, your wife has been calling the hotel since last night. She is actually on the line now."

Michael looks at Nikita, who looks irritated by the news. He kisses her quickly on the lips and heads to the front desk. Nikita watches him from a few feet away.

"Hello?" he answers.

"Where the fuck have you been, Michael?!"


	14. Chapter 14

"Hello?" he answers.

"Where the fuck have you been, Michael?!"

"Honey-"

"I've been calling you since yesterday! God damn it!"

"Liz, listen-"

"Tell me Michael, where the fuck have you been? I have been calling your phone all day and night. Even your hotel room I've called many times. What the fuck have you been doing?" she screams on the phone.

"Liz, calm down," he says, trying his best to be patient.

"Calm down? Calm down? Who the fuck were you with?Who were you screwing with?!"

"What the fuck, Liz?! What do you mean who was I with? I've been working my ass off since I got here. I haven't even slept or rested, and now you're accusing me of screwing with another woman? Fuck that!" he says, trying his best to get himself out of trouble.

Liz suddenly feels bad about what she had said. She and Michael have been together for so long but they have never talked to each other this way. And the worst part is, she is not even 100% sure if there really is something going on between him and Nikita. All this time there has never been a solid proof; everything is just suspicions. She calms down and feels terrible. Shocked at the way she handled things. She quickly realizes what she's done and tries to fix it.

"Michael, I'm-" she gets interrupted.

"You know what, Liz, I don't know where you're getting all this shit from. Do you want me to leave this seminar and go home, huh? Would that make you happy?" he asks angrily.

"Micha-"

"I've been working my ass off, trying to provide for our family and this is what you do? You fucking accuse me of shit I do not do?"

"I'm sorry, honey. Please forgive me. Honey, please, I didn't mean it," she begs.

"I gotta go."

"Honey, please. Let's talk," she begs again.

"I have no time for this right now," he says, hanging up the phone.

Liz stands in the kitchen, phone is still on her ear. She feels horrible about what happened and she blames no one but herself. She wants to hate Nikita but asks herself if she is making everything up in her head. She sobs uncontrollably, wanting nothing more but to talk to Michael and apologize for accusing him of cheating. "_GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE_?"

xxx

Michael walks over to Nikita. He sees her standing there, eyes filled with worries. He is angry at Liz for calling the hotel lobby and embarrassing him like that.

"Let's go?" he asks, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

xxx

The two of them spend the morning on the beach. They walk along the shore, holding hands. He picks her up and spins her around. As soon as he puts her feet down on the ground, she pushes him and runs off. He stands there for a minute and watches her run and laugh freely. Her laugh makes his heart skip a beat, and makes his knees feel weak. He runs after her and lifts her off the ground once more. He throws her over his shoulder and walks a few steps, laying her down on the sand underneath the coconut tree. She giggles as her back touches the warm sand. He stares at her and smiles. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"Yes, I do," she says proudly.

"Oh, you do? How conceited," he teases.

She laughs and slaps his shoulder. "That's why you can't resist me," she says, with a smirk on her face.

"Is that so?" he says seductively, leaning down. Lips inches away from hers.

"Yes. In fact, you want to kiss me right now," she says playfully.

Her words make him burst into laughter. "You really are something, you know that?"

"What are you waiting for?"

"What do you mean?"

"Go ahead. Kiss me already. We both know you want to," she says seductively.

"Don't dare me. You might regret it."

She becomes impatient and pulls his head down for a kiss. She kisses him roughly and passionately. He gasps for air and she uses this opportunity to slide her tongue. Just as she senses he is getting aroused, she pulls away and gets up. Michael opens his eyes, confused about what just happened. He sees Nikita standing in front of him, laughing her ass off.

"Aroused, aren't we? she teases, face red from laughing.

"Oh, you are going to pay..big time!"

xxx

Owen and some of their colleagues are having dinner when they see Michael and Nikita dancing intimately in the middle of the dance floor. Owen looks at them and suddenly suspicion arises. For the entire time they are in Hawaii, he has not seen Michael or Nikita outside the seminar. He has seen them walking together once, but didn't think much of it because he knew that Michael's a married man and had not shown any interest in Nikita in the past. But seeing them here tonight, dancing and being physical with each other, makes him believe that there is something going on between them.

"Seems like Michael and Nikita are having some fun, huh?" says Lance sarcastically.

"I can't believe I never had my way with her. I certainly wouldn't mind banging her and making her my mistress" says Ben, laughing.

The three men laugh, keeping their eyes on Michael and Nikita, who are very busy dancing and flirting with each other.

"I wouldn't mind banging that sexy ass all day and night," says Lance.

"I'll drink to that," Ben agrees, lifting his mug in the air.

"At least one of us is getting some," says Owen, shaking his head. "Poor Liz," he says, watching the two of them intensely.

xxx

The two of them finally stopped dancing. Michael leads her back to their table and pulls her chair out for her.

"Would you dance like that tonight in bed? he teases seductively.

"Depends on how you do at dinner," she replies, winking her eye.

A few minutes later, a guy comes up to them and places his hand on Nikita's exposed back. He then lowers himself and kisses her on the cheek. Michael stares at the man and anger and jealousy begin to take over him.

Nikita looks up and sees the familiar face. "Oh, hi. What are you doing here?" she says to the man.

"I'm here on a vacation," he answers. "You?"

"Work, as usual," she says smiling.

"You look gorgeous."

"Thank you. Oh, this is my colleague, Michael. And Michael, this is an old friend of mine, Frank."

"Nice to meet you, man," says Frank.

"Same here," says Michael, not looking very pleased.

"Alright. I'll go ahead. Call me some time, okay?" he says, giving Nikita another kiss on the cheek.

"I sure will. Goodnight."

Frank leaves the table and Nikita looks immediately at Michael. It is obvious that he is angry. He keeps his head down and stays quiet, not even looking in her direction.

She breaks the silence. "Nice place they've got here, huh?" she says, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Who is that?" he finally says, in an angry tone.

"I already told you, an old friend," she answers, getting a little irritated.

"Yeah, right. You mean an old boyfriend? Or lover?" he asks sarcastically.

"So what if he is? What's the big deal?"

"Colleague," he says bitterly.

"Michael-"

"You introduced me as your colleague," he says angrily, staring her right in the face.

"You ARE my colleague, Michael. Why are you so flipped out?"

"That's hilarious," he says, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."

"What is your problem? What the hell did you expect me to say? That you're my boyfriend? My lover? I don't even know what the fuck we are! I don't even think you know what we are!" she says angrily and bitterly.

"You know what we are, Nikita."

"Do I? Tell me, Michael. What are we? What the fuck are we?"

"Nikita-"

"Yeah. That's what I thought" she says with disappointment on her face. She gets up and leave the table.

Michael sits there and watches her walk away. He runs his fingers through his hair and calls the waiter to order a glass of gin.

xxx

It's past midnight and Michael had a little too much drink. He couldn't stop thinking about Nikita the entire night. This past few days he has spent with her have been nothing but pure bliss. He cannot blame Nikita for feeling confused because he does not have an answer for her question, either. He is just as confused as she is. All he knows is that he needs to see her, and he needs to see her now.

He takes the elevator and heads to Nikita's hotel room. He is certain that she is still awake because he knows about her habit of sleeping late. He arrives at the door and does not hesitate to knock. Within minutes, she opens the door.

"What are you doing here?" she says coldly.

"I wanted to see you. I need to see you," he says, voice is soft and apologetic.

"Just leave, Michael," she says, closing the door.

Michael gently pushes the door with his hand. "Nikita, please. Let's talk," he begs.

"We have nothing to talk about," she says firmly.

"Yes, we do."

"Michael, you're drunk. Just go away," she says, pushing the door closed.

He pushes the door once again and forces himself in. He manages to get inside and quickly locks the door behind him.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Get out!" she says angrily.

"Nikita, don't do this," he pleads.

"Just go!" she yells.

Michael quickly grabs both her shoulders tightly and lifts her slightly off the ground. He then smashes his lips onto hers and pushes her against the door. Oddly, she does not fight back and instead, kisses him back roughly and pushes him until he smashes his back on the mirror. They continue to kiss passionately and roughly, both ripping each other's clothes frantically and violently. He bites her lower lip and in return, she pulls his hair forcefully. He growls and picks her up. He carries her and takes her by the window, where he smashes her back directly on the wall next to it. They can see all the neighboring hotels, lights and the happenings right below. He continues his assault on her: kissing her roughly, biting her lip and neck.

"God damn it, Nikita. What it is about you that drives every men crazy, huh?" he says in a lustful tone, eyes scanning every inch of her possessively.

He crashes his lips onto hers and wraps her legs around his waist, with one hand underneath her buttocks to support her weight. He presses her body even harder against the wall, entering her roughly. She pulls away from the kiss and gasps for air. He continues to pound her mercilessly and uses his free hand to grab Nikita's hands. He restraints both her hands on top of her head, showing her who is in control. She moves her arms but he grips them even tighter and bites her lower lip. He growls in her mouth, pounding harder and faster. Her head is spinning from extreme pleasure. There is something animalistic about this sex, and she is enjoying the roughness and aggressiveness. They are both allowing themselves to manifest what it is they are feeling at the moment, and give in to their desires. He suddenly stops and pulls out. He places Nikita on her feet and turns her around.

"Bend over!" he commands.

She does exactly what she's told. Although she is not someone who follows orders from anyone, she certainly does not have a problem obeying Michael's commands; not when it comes to this. She likes this side of Michael. It is the side of him that he hides so well from people. To those who do not know him, he appears to be calm and well reserved. But of course Nikita knows better. She has seen and experienced this rough, animalistic side of him.

His pace quickens. Each thrust is deeper and harder than the last. He bites her shoulder blades, "Say my name," he commands, voice is raspy.

"Mi-Michael," she says breathlessly.

"Louder!"

"Michael!" she yells, voice echoing in the bedroom.

He moans loudly and pounds her a little more faster. Nikita throws her head back and reaches on Michael's arms that are on her hips. She digs her nails very deeply and moans loudly, and when she moaned, Michael removes one of his hand from her hips and grips a handful of her hair. He grabs her hair violently and pulls her face up to him. He captures her lower lip and bites it. This is one rough, painful sex. But neither of them seem to mind. Minutes later, both of them come together at the exact same time, leaving them both breathless. Nikita feels her knees weaken due to the uncomfortable position she was in a few minutes ago. Both of them are already feeling the pain they caused to one another: scratches, swollen lips, sore muscles. He hugs her from behind and leads her to bed. As exhausted as they are, the two of them do not sleep. Instead, they remain wrapped in each other arms and lost in each other's eyes.

"Tomorrow this will all be over," she says with apparent sadness in her eyes.

"Nikita-"

"Tomorrow we're leaving Hawaii and you'll be going back to Liz. Game is over."

Michael lifts her chin and looks her directly in the eye. "Nikita, this and what we had here in Hawaii, is not a game. Certainly not to me," he says sincerely.

"But Michael, you're married. And as wonderful as our time here was, the fact still remains. That as soon as we board that plane tomorrow, you will be Liz's husband and Hayley's father again," she says, voice cracking.

He kisses her tenderly. "Nikita, listen to me. What happened between us here in Hawaii meant more to me than you will ever know."

"But Michael-"

Michael places a finger on her lips to silence her. He then scans her face and he then tucks some hair behind her ear while he composes himself. Nikita can see the sadness, confusion and struggle in his eyes. She knows that he, too, is feeling the same way. Then he finally speaks.

"I think I'm falling in love with you."

**To be continued**..


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, there. Here's chapter 15. Hope you guys like it. Again, thanks for the kind words, they mean a lot. And to my beautiful gal pal, Kaz, tulaliloo ti amo! Muak muak! =D Enjoy, everyone! **

xxx

Today Michael comes home from his 5-day seminar in Hawaii, and Liz and Hayley arrive at the airport to pick him up. He and Liz have not talked again since that screaming match they had over the phone a few days ago, and Liz is in nervous wreck to face him after what had happened. She has missed him so much and there is nothing more she'd like to do at this very moment than to hug and kiss him. She and Hayley wait for him patiently, checking her cellphone for the time every 2 minutes. Michael's plane is supposed to land at 2:30 pm and right now it is already 2:45. "Where are you, honey?" she mumbles, worried that he may have decided to stay longer on the island.

Liz is getting anxious as minutes pass so she gets up from her seat and walks back and forth. Then, as she makes her way back to the seat that she and Hayley share, she sees Nikita. She is wearing a red maxi dress and a pair of flip-flops, with hair up in a bun. She is carrying matching Louis Vuitton purse and luggage, walking confidently and beautifully. Liz is not sure if she can see her too, but all that doubt disappears when Nikita removes her sunglasses and looks directly at her. The two stare at one another, neither smiling or waving hello. And before anything else can happen, Michael walks out with his luggage, scanning the place for Liz and Hayley. He spots them right in the middle of the waiting area; he walks past Nikita and heads straight to Hayley, who is busy playing games on the iPad. He picks her up and kisses her on the cheek.

"How are you, sweetheart? I've missed you," he says, hugging his girl tightly.

"Daddy!" Hayley yells excitedly.

Liz walks up to him and Hayley and gives Michael a hug. He hugs her in return and his eyes automatically wander to Nikita, who is standing in the corner looking directly at him. He looks down to avoid her gaze, not wanting to see the disappointment and pain in her eyes. Then he looks back up and sees her walking away. His heart breaks knowing that when he lays in bed tonight, Nikita won't be the one next to him.

xxx

Michael and his family get home just in time for dinner. Liz had already prepared some food in the oven before they left for the airport. She immediately heads to the kitchen to start setting the table and reheating the food, while Michael makes his way upstairs for a quick shower. He steps in the shower and turns on the water. The hot water hits his skin and he closes his eyes, thinking about Nikita. It's only been a few hours but he is already missing her like crazy. He misses her smile, her laugh, her touch and even her sarcasm; he misses everything about her.

He steps out of the shower and wraps a towel around his waist. Instead of going straight to the closet to get dressed, he walks towards his bag and pulls out his cellphone.

He texts Nikita:

**"****_Hi, beautiful. I miss you._**

_**I miss your lips and your scent.**_

_**I can't wait to see you. Goodnight.**__"_

A smile escapes his lips, something that he has been doing quite a lot lately. He immediately deletes his text and changes the password to his phone. He then hides it underneath the mattress on his side of the bed. Then suddenly, he hears a knock on the door.

"Honey, dinner's ready," says Liz.

"Okay. I'll be right down."

xxx

Nikita is having dinner with Alex when she hears her phone beep. She quickly and nervously goes through her purse to find the phone, hoping that it is Michael who sent her a text message. She finally finds her phone and checks who it is. Sure enough, it is Michael. She reads the text message, smiling from ear to ear. Alex watches her intently with a raised eyebrow. By Nikita's reaction, she already has a pretty good idea on who it might be.

Nikita writes back:

_**"I knew you couldn't stay away too long. **_

_**I miss you, too. Take me out to lunch soon?"**_

She puts back her phone inside her purse and she sees Alex staring at her. "What?" she asks smiling.

"I assume you two have made up?" she says with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe," she replies, avoiding her gaze.

"Niki-"

"Alex, sweetheart, I know you're concerned but I'm okay. I'm a big girl. I know what I'm doing."

"Really? Because the last time I saw you, you were a mess! You were in a robe in the middle of the day with a messy hair, which by the way, did not look very sexy. You were pissed as hell that I actually thought you were going to drown your pathetic self in vodka and die!"

Nikita laughs. " Very funny. That was then, and this is now. I'm happy now so please, just be happy for me?"

"I don't know, Nikita. I don't want to see you get hurt," she says, reaching for her hand.

"I know. And I appreciate it. But like I said, I know what I'm doing. Okay?"

Alex gives her a fake smile and nods. As much as she'd like to be happy for her, she knows way too well how this game is going to end. She knows that it's only a matter of time before everything blows up on Nikita's face, and frankly, it makes her really scared.

xxx

It's been a few weeks since Nikita and Michael returned from their seminar in Hawaii. They continue with their affair: having secret dinners here and there, quick getaways and spending a couple of extra hours everyday in the office just so they could be together. Everything has calmed down in between he and Liz, too. He and Liz have not fought again after that phone incident. He tries his best to be attentive and be there for her just to avoid her from becoming suspicious: forcing himself to eat when not hungry, coming home early with flowers and chocolates every week and taking her out on a date every Friday night. Anything just to keep her from finding out about him and Nikita. So far, everything is working out just fine. The questions have stopped, as well as the unexpected visits at the office. He also gets to see and be with Nikita more often without being questioned.

xxx

Moans and screams fill the room as rain violenty pours outside. Nails digging into flesh and tiny droplets of blood smear the white satin sheets. With one last thrust, the two of them reach their ecstasy and Michael collapses in bed, right next to her. Their breathing are heavy and noisy, both of them trying to regain their energy.

"That was great," says Nikita breathlessly.

"You were great," says Michael, kissing her gently on the lips. He gets up and heads to the bathroom.

Nikita reaches for his hand, "Stay. Cuddle with me," she says playfully.

"I can't. It's almost dinner time and Liz is waiting for me," he says, picking up his pants from the cold floor.

Nikita sits up and brings her knees to her chest. She sits there quietly, feeling both annoyed and disappointed. Michael turns around and sees her staring blankly at the window. He walks up to her and sits in front of her, placing his hands on top of her knees.

"Don't be upset. Cheer up," he says smiling. "I promise, I'll make it up to you."

"I'm not upset. Why would I be upset? After all, I'm just your fuck buddy. Right?" she says in an angry tone.

"Hey," he says, lifting her chin to get her to look at him. "You know that's not true."

"Isn't it?" she says bitterly, eyes filled with both anger and pain.

"It's not. We're more than that. You are more than that to me" he says sincerely, looking straight in her eyes. "And you know that."

"Do I, Michael? Do I?"

"Nikita-"

She pushes Michael's hands off her knees and gets out of bed. She makes her way to the bathroom, "Lock up when you leave," she says bitterly before stepping in the shower. Michael feels horrible. He knows it's not his intention to hurt her but things are beginning to get more and more complicated as they continue this dangerous affair. Both of them know they need to stop, but neither of them want to. He gets out of bed and continue dressing up. He then grabs his keys and wallet, and makes his way out of the house.

Nikita hears the front door open and close. She knew right then that Michael had already left. She turns the water even hotter, wanting to feel the heat burn her skin because maybe then the pain that she feels in her heart will disappear. She turns it even hotter and sits in the tub. She brings her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around them, rocking herself back and forth, fighting so hard not to cry. But she loses the battle as tears star to flow continuously. This, right here, is something that she has never done before. She has never shed a single tear for a man, and this intense feeling is something she is not familiar with and something she does not know how to handle or control.

xxx

Nikita gets to work a little later than she normally does. She walks in the hallway and goes straight to her office, not bothering to say 'hello' or 'goodmorning' to anyone.

She opens her office door and is immediately greeted by a bouquet of red roses and her favorite chocolates. There is a card next to it and she quickly and excitedly opens it.

It reads:

_**"Goodmorning, beautiful. I hope you're not mad at me anymore. I can't wait to see your beautiful smile. Will you go out on a lunch date with me?"**_

_**Love,  
Michael**_

She places the card down and picks up the flowers. She smells them and smiles, suddenly forgetting the reason why she was even mad in the first place. Then, she hears the door open. She turns around and sees Michael. He walks up to her and kisses her passionately. He pulls away and wraps his arms around her waist.

"Still mad at me?" he asks.

"I guess not," she answers smiling.

"Good. I hate it when you're mad at me."

"I'm not fond of it myself."

"How about I make it up to you? What do you say if I took you out on a lunch date today?" he says, kissing her softly on the lips.

"That would be perfect," she replies, deepening the kiss.

xxx

It's lunch time and Michael takes Nikita to a fancy restaurant downtown. He had made a last minute reservation so he and Nikita could have a nice, romantic lunch. He opens the door for her and leads her inside the restaurant. He walks up to the woman in the front desk and tells her that he has a reservation. The waitress finds his name and leads them to a private room, away from all the people and noise.

"Impressive," she teases.

"Of course. I'm glad you like it," he says, kissing her on the cheek.

The two of them had an amazing lunch. They talked, they laughed and they bonded, just like any other normal couple. Except there is nothing normal about their relationship. Today reminds them both so much of Hawaii; all the fun they had there and the freedom. They both wish that they can stay like this forever; that somehow time would stand still, even just for a day so they could be together and live their lives the way they want to: no rules, no fear of hurting others, no guilt. But they know that's impossible so they just try to cherish every single second they have with each other.

The two of them are walking just outside the restaurant; giggling, holding hands and kissing. They can't seem to get enough of each other, and both of them know it. They are almost near the parking lot when all of a sudden Michael runs into a familiar face. His body automatically stiffens when he realizes who it is.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" she says.

"Amanda, let me explain," he begs.

Nikita stands there in horror. She cannot believe that someone close to him and Liz has seen them. She walks away and heads to Michael's car, not wanting to hear or witness what is about to happen. She is scared to death that this could be their end; the end of their affair. She stands by the car, heart pounding out of her chest. She looks at them and sees fear in Michael's eyes.

"Explain what? I saw you kissing that woman! How dare you cheat on my bestfriend?!" she says angrily.

"Amanda, listen to me-"

"Tell her, or I will," she threatens.

"Amanda-"

"I will give you a few days. If you don't tell her, then I will be the one to tell her."

"Please, don't-"

"Don't what? She was right all along. You really are screwing with another woman. Shame on you, Michael! I hope Hayley doesn't hate you for this!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey, guys. Hope you liked the previous chapter and hopefully you'll like this one, as well. Thanks for reading and for the awesome reviews, they are appreciated. And to those who are asking, yes, I will be updating "Pull Me Out of the Darkness" right after I wrap up this story, which I think will be very soon. Again, thank you. Let me know what you think about this chapter. Enjoy=D Shout out to my beautiful girls: Amy, Jezza, Kaz and Lexie=) This one is written especially for you, Amy. Haha! **

xxx

Michael and Nikita return to the office after the incident outside the restaurant. Neither of them spoke in the car on their drive back, both scared of where all this could lead. Nikita's main fear is for their affair to end, but Michael's fears are far worse. After months of fooling around, now is the only time that he really thought about the possible repercussions of his actions. Now is the only time that he realizes what he could lose. He knows no matter what, he will have to make a choice and he will end up losing someone. He is afraid to lose his wife, his marriage and most importantly, his child. But he is also afraid to lose Nikita, whom he learned to love and care about genuinely.

They both enter his office and he quickly shuts the door behind them. He begins to pace back and forth in the room. "I don't know what to do," he finally speaks. "If my wife finds out, she'll divorce me and take Hayley," he says nervously.

Nikita sits there, not sure on what to say. She, too, is worried. "Maybe she won't tell her. Maybe she's just psyching you out."

"She will. I know Amanda. She won't hesitate to tell Liz," he says, smashing his hands on the desk. "Fuck! What have I gotten myself into?" he mumbles, sounding more regretful than intended. He immediately realizes what he just said and turns to Nikita. He sees her looking straight at him with so much pain in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I-I don't know what else to say," she says, voice cracking. She gets up and prepares to leave, but Michael grabs her by the waist and buries his face on the back of her neck.

"Don't leave, please," he pleads. "I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. I just don't know what to do, Nikita."

"Do you regret everything that happened between us? Do you regret us?" she asks, tears begin to fall.

"No. No," he says, shaking his head. He turns her around and grabs her face with both hands. He kisses her, "No, never. I love you, Nikita. I don't regret anything. I don't want to lose you."

Nikita kisses him back, "I don't want to lose you either, Michael. I can't," she says crying.

Michael kisses her again and wipes the tears off her face. "Shhh. You're not going to lose me, do you hear me? We'll figure something out."

"Don't leave me, Michael," she pleads. "Don't leave me."

He holds her tightly and kisses her forehead. "I'm not. I'm not," he assures her.

He lifts her chin and kisses her passionately. He wants to take all her worries and pain away. He is hoping that this kiss will give her the reassurance that she needs and looks for. She kisses him back, deepening the kiss in no time. They do not know what tomorrow holds, but right now, they are in each other's arms and that is all that matters.

xxx

It's been almost a week since Michael ran into Amanda. He's been a wreck for days, thinking of a way out. But he knows that there is no way out. Sooner or later, the truth will come out. One way or another, Liz will learn the truth about the affair; about Nikita.

Today is Saturday and Liz decided to invite Amanda over for dinner. She prepares her famous risotto, which is Amanda's favorite, and some lamb chops. She also bakes two different pies, an apple pie and a peach pie. She is feeling quite good today for some reason. Perhaps it is because she hasn't seen her bestfriend in weeks, or maybe because things between her and Michael are finally good. With all those random flowers and chocolates and weekly dinner dates, she feels like Michael, her Michael, is finally back. He hasn't done anything like this since before Hayley was born and she has missed it. To her, life is perfect right now.

Michael arrives home from the gym and is immediately surprised by the amount of activity in the kitchen. "Woah, honey. Are we having President Obama for dinner?" he asks playfully.

Liz laughs. "Oh, stop, honey. Not the president, just Amanda," she says happily.

Michael almost chokes. "Amanda?" he asks nervously.

"Yes, honey. I invited her over. I haven't seen that woman for almost three weeks now. I'm glad she accepted my invitation even if it's such short notice."

Michael stands there, knees beginning to shake. "Oh, okay. Great. Um, let me go upstairs then and take a quick shower."

"Okay, honey. Just come back down when you're done."

"I will."

He climbs upstairs, heart racing violently. Could this be the day? Will today be finally the day that his wife finds out about his affair?

xxx

Michael is just about to go downstairs when he hears the doorbell ring. His heart instantly begins pounding very fast. He swallows hard and tries to compose himself before heading downstairs. He drags his feet downstairs and forces his way to the kitchen.

"Oh, hello, Michael. It's so nice to see you," greets Amanda, giving him a meaningful look.

"Hi. It's very nice to see you, too," he says, looking her straight in the eye. He is trying to read her eyes for signs, but there is nothing there. He can't figure out what she is thinking. One thing he did learn though, is how much of a great actress she is. He is amazed at how well she can hold herself, pretend like there is nothing going on. I guess it is because she is a woman, after all.

They sit through dinner; they ate, Amanda complimented the risotto, shared stories and occasional exchange of meaningful glances between the two of them. Michael sits there quietly, just listening to the two women talk. He would from time to time smile or laugh just to pretend to show some interest, but deep down, he is scared as hell.

"So Michael, what's new with you?" asks Amanda, beginning to focus more on Michael.

"Um, nothing. Just work, you know," he says nervously.

"I see. Anything interesting at all?"

"Um, no" he says, looking at Liz who is too happy to even notice anything.

"Liz mentioned that you recently had a seminar in Hawaii? Gorgeous island. I bet you had some fun there with your colleagues, huh?" she says, giving him a meaningful, angry look.

"I'll leave you two for a minute while you continue your chit chat. I'll just go check up on Hayley really quick," Liz says, leaving the table.

The two of them stare at each other. Michael can see the anger in Amanda's eyes and she is not afraid to show it. "You still haven't told her, I see," she says bitterly.

"Amanda-"

"I told you, Michael, just a few days."

"Amanda, please. Don't tell Liz. I don't want to hurt her."

"You don't want to hurt her? Well, you should have thought of that before fooling around with another woman."

"I don't want to lose my wife and my child, Amanda," he says, voice soft and emotional.

As much as she hates Michael right now, she, too, does not want to her bestfriend hurt or lose her family. She knows how much Michael means to Liz and how much it would devastate her once she finds out the truth. She knows she needs to tell her, but even she cannot bring herself to do it.

"Amanda, I'm begging you. I will stop. I won't see that woman again. Just don't tell Liz," he pleads.

But before Amanda can say anything, Liz comes back to the kitchen with Hayley. The two of them are smiling from ear to ear because of a joke Hayley said to her mom. "We'te back, guys," she says happily. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing. We were just talking about Hawaii," says Amanda, giving Michael one last look.

The look Amanda gave somehow gives Michael a little comfort. It somehow gives him relief because he knows that she wouldn't tell Liz. Or at least not tonight, anyway.

xxx

Amanda just left and Liz and Michael are busy cleaning up the kitchen. Then, Michael's phone begins to vibrate in his pocket. He looks at Liz and sees her washing the dishes. He grabs the bags of trash and goes out in the backyard. He checks his phone and it's a missed call from an unknown number. Knowing who it is, he dials Nikita's number.

"Hey, handsome," she answers in a seductive tone.

"Why did you call?"

"Ouch."

"No, that's not what I meant. It's just that Amanda was here earlier," he explains.

"Did she tell?" she asks nervously.

"No, thank God."

"You miss me?" she asks flirtatiously.

Michael cannot help but chuckle. "Of course I do. I always do," he says, smiling.

"Then come see me."

"Nikita, you know I can't."

"Just quick. I just want to see you on my birthday," she says sadly.

"Birthday? Today is your birthday? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I've been busy, I almost forgot myself. So will you come?" she asks in a gentle but seductive tone.

"I don't know. Liz is here and it's already quite late."

"I'll wait for you," she insists stubbornly.

"Nikita-"

"I'll see you tonight, Michael."

She hangs up and Michael stands near the garbage cans, thinking on what to do. He just barely got himself out of trouble with Amanda, but yet, here he is, thinking of ways to get to Nikita. He gets back inside the house and he sees Liz cleaning the oven.

"Honey, Owen just called."

"Owen? Your colleague?" she asks.

"Yes. And he needs my help. He wants me to take a look at the documents he has," he says, trying to sound calm as humanly as possible. "I know it's a little late, and I told him that I could just drop by tomorrow but he said he will not be home tomorrow so.." he explains.

"Well, if if's really that important then I guess you should go," she says sincerely.

"Are you sure you're okay with it?"

"Of course, honey. Go ahead, help him."

"Okay, honey. Thanks. I promise I'll be home before midnight. I'll get out of there as fast as I can. 2-3 hours tops," he says, kissing her on the lips.

"Alright. Drive safe," she says, giving him one last kiss on the lips.

xxx

Nikita is sitting on her couch in the living room, glancing at the clock. She has lit some candles and prepares a bottle of wine and chocolate-dipped strawberries. She is not sure if Michael is coming, but knowing him, knowing the effect she has on him, she knew that he wouldn't be able to resist. She gets up and checks herself in the mirror. She looks beautiful even at night. She is wearing a black lingerie, a color that Michael loves so much on her.

Minutes later, she hears a car in the driveway. She quickly walks towards the front door and checks who it is. Sure enough, she sees Michael holding a bouquet of white tulips and a box, of what looks like a cake. She opens the door before he even gets the chance to ring the bell or take out his spare key. She opens the door and she immediately catches Michael's attention. He stares at her from head-to-toe, with a smirk on his face and lust in his eyes.

"I knew you'd come," she says in a lustful tone.

"You know I'd find a way. Happy Birthday," he says, stepping inside the house.

Nikita could barely wait for him to get inside the house. She immediately attacks his lips and kisses him roughly. He lifts her up and tries to carry her in the bedroom, "No. No time for that," she says, kissing him roughly on the neck. "Fuck me right here," she says lustfully and breathlessly. He drops the tulips and cake on the floor, and pushes her forcefully against the wall and grabs her wrists and puts them above her head. He kisses her passionately, biting her lips roughly. He then uses his mouth to untie the ribbon of her lingerie, biting her skin as he works his way to her breasts. "Happy Birthday," he says breathlessly, as he trails wet kisses down her stomach. He releases her hands and kneels down on the cold marble floor. She grabs a handful of his hair and looks down on him, watching him and his every move. He places both of his hands on her hips, and begins to bite her hip tattoo. "You're so sexy," he says, sucking the skin in her inner leg. He then bites her underwear and pulls in down. He can hear her breathing heavily and it arouses him even more.

"Enough of the teasing," she says breathlessly. She quickly undresses him and pushes him to the staircase, where he bent her over and pounds her mercilessly. She holds on tightly to the banister, while Michael continues to thrust faster, harder and deeper. With each thrust, their moans became louder and louder, echoing through the house. He bites her back and she screams his name in both pain and pleasure. She bends down even further, changing the angle to better accomodate him. He grabs her hair and pull her head back, "Open your eyes and look at me. Tell me you love me," he commands, lips inches away from hers. "I-I love you," she obeys. "I want to hear you say my name," he says in a husky tone. She moans and closes her eyes, "Mi-ah, Michael," she says breathlessly. He crashes his lips onto hers and continues pounding her, harder and roughly. She bites his lips and digs her nails on his leg. "Fuck!" she moans, nearing her orgasm. "Harder, Michael!" she says, hands struggling to keep their hold on the railings. He does what he is told. He pounds into her harder, faster and deeper, and within seconds, both of them scream each other's names. His arms is wrapped around Nikita's neck, almost choking the life out of her, and her nails are still buried deep into his skin. The two of them breathe heavily, and Michael picks her up. He brushes her hair out of her face, and kisses her passionately. "Happy Birthday, my love," he says smiling, eyes still closed from exhaustion. He carries Nikita upstairs where they cuddle for a few minutes.

They lay in bed naked. They stare at each other's eyes, trying to cherish every moment they have, trying not to think about the threat that is hanging over their heads. Nikita grabs Michael's hand and places it on her cheek.

"I love you," he says, caressing her shoulder.

"I love you, too, Michael," she says, kissing his lips.

"I wish things didn't have to be so complicated. I wish you and I could just walk on the beach all day, and make love all night," he says sadly, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Nikita closes her eyes and hugs him tightly. "Just promise me you won't leave me. Promise me," she pleads.

"I promise."

xxx

It's 3:00 AM and Liz and Michael are sleeping when all of a sudden, his phone starts to vibrate. Liz gets awaken by the nonstop vibration, and starts to look for the phone. She finds it under Michael's pillow. She grabs the phone and checks to see who it is calling at that time. It's an unknown caller, and Liz immediately gets this horrible, sickening feeling in her guts. She gets up and stands by the window. She answers it and listens in to the voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey, sexy. Wake up. Come and cuddle with me," says the woman in a half-sleepy, semi-seductive voice.

Liz heart drops and she begins to cry silently. Oddly, she is not surprised at all because somehow, deep down, she knew that this day would come. She has been in denial for so long, and this phone call confirms all of her suspicions. She wants to say something but couldn't. There are so many things she'd like to say to her, to this homewrecking bitch, but it seems like her lips became paralyzed. Although she has only met her a few times, she is 100% sure that the voice on the other end of the line belongs to Nikita. There is no doubt about it. Within seconds she is able to have flashbacks of the past. This explains all the late nights at the office, quick and stolen glances at one another, the flirty smiles and Nikita's reaction to her when they saw each other at the airport. This explains everything. Nikita really is her husband's mistress.

"Michael, are you there?" says Nikita, sounding more awake now that she did a minute ago. "Michael?"

Liz hangs up and sits in the corner. She cries silently in the dark. She does not know what to do, whether or not to confront Michael, or to just go on pretending like she knows nothing. She loves Michael with all her heart, and there is nothing in the world that she wouldn't do for him, but she also does not want a cheating husband. She wants to just get up and confront Michael about it, especially now that she has solid proof. But a big part of her is scared; scared to lose Michael and scared to break up their family. She brings her knees on her chest and puts her head down, wishing very hard that this is all just a nightmare; that when she wakes up in the morning, Michael would still be in love with her and Nikita never existed. Her sobs become louder and louder, and Michael gets awaken by the sound. He rubs his eyes and searches the room, not completely understanding what's going on.

"Liz?" he calls. "Is that you?" he says, turning on the light. He sees her sitting in the corner holding his cellphone, crying uncontrollably. His heart drops and immediately knows that she had already found out about his affair with Nikita.

"How long?" she asks, gathering her strength to speak.

"Liz-"

"How long?!" she screams angrily.

Michael stands there and looks down. He wants to tell her but he does not know how or where to begin. His worst fear is finally happening. He knew since the day he laid eyes on Nikita that she was trouble, but he was too weak and gave in to his desires. He never planned to fall in love with her. All there was to it in the beginning was lust. But as he she got to know the real her, feelings just started to develop. He blames himself for not being able to resist her, and he hates himself even more for falling in love with her.

Liz gets up and rushes towards Michael. She slaps him across the face, "How could you?! How could you do this to me and Hayley?!," she sobs.

Michael does not move. He closes his eyes, trying to find the strength to face her. "I'm sorry," he finally says.

"Fuck you! It's Nikita, isn't it?"

"Liz-"

"Isn't it?" she yells.

Michael nods his head and is immediately slapped once again across the face. "I never meant to hurt you."

"Never meant to hurt me?" she repeats bitterly.

Michael runs towards her and tries to hug her. He wishes that he could undo what he did and go back to where they used to be. He knows Liz does not deserve any of this. She has been nothing but a great wife and mother, and hurting her, especially the way he did, is the last thing she deserves. He regrets hurting her but he knows there is no turning back now. He knew all along the risks but chose willingly to take them, so now he has to pay the price. "Don't touch me! Don't you fucking touch me!"

"Liz, please, I never-"

"You never what? You never meant to hurt me? Fuck you! You went behind my back for months! For months, Michael! All this time I was feeling horrible and disgusted by myself for even having the thought of you cheating cross my mind. You made me believe I was wrong, that I'm just being a paranoid, possessive, jealous bitch. But guess what? I was right all along!"

"Liz, please, listen to me-" he sobs.

"You fooled me! You cheated on me! You really cheated on me!"

"I'm begging you, Liz. Please"

"I hate you!"

"No. Please don't say that. Come here," he says, walking towards her.

"Don't you come near me! You disgust me!"

"God, Liz. Please-" he sobs uncontrollably.

"I am leaving and I am taking my daughter with me."

"No, Liz. Please. Liz, don't-"

She turns around and walks out of the bedroom. She heads straight to Hayley's room and grabs her from her bed. Hayley is quickly awaken and starts to cry as soon as she realizes that her mom and dad are fighting.

"Mommy, what's going on?" she cries.

"It's okay, baby. Mommy will explain later," she says, trying to compose herself.

"Where are we going?" she says, looking at her dad. "I don't want to leave Daddy," she sobs.

Liz picks her up and carries her all the way downstairs. She doesn't bother to pack anything. All she wants to do at this very moment is to get the hell away from Michael.

Michael goes after them. "Liz, I am begging you. Don't do this. Please," he pleads.

"Daddy!" Hayley cries. "Daddy!"

But Liz ignores her daughter's cry and straps her in the carseat. She gets behind the wheel without looking back and speeds off. Michael is left in the driveway. He collapses on his knees:

"Liz!" he screams, voice echoing in the neighborhood.

xxx

Nikita does not hear from Michael for two days. He has not called, texted or even showed up at the office. It is so not like him to just not show up or call. She is scared; scared of the possibilites of what may have happened. Then, an hour later, Michael opens her front door with the spare key she had given him.

"Oh, my God, Michael. I've been worried sick about you," she says, running to him. She hugs him tightly, not wanting to let go.

He pulls away from her and looks down on the ground. "We have to end this, Nikita," he says, tears threatening to fall.

"What?" she asks, shocked. Not wanting to believe what she just heard. "What did you say?" she asks again, feeling her heart break into million little pieces.

Michael take a few steps closer. "We have to end this, Nikita."

"No, no, Michael. No, don't do this. Michael, don't," she begs, kissing him frantically.

"Nikita, I have a wife and daughter, and they need me. Please don't make this harder on me than it already is," he says, tears rolling down his face.

"No," she sobs, taking a few steps backwards.

He hugs her tightly and kisses her forehead. "Nikita, please don't cry. I can't stand seeing you like this. Please."

"Then choose me! Choose me! Please?! Don't do this to me, Michael," she pleads, sobbing.

"It's not that easy."

"Yes, it is."

"I can't just leave my wife, especially my kid. Nikita, listen to me-"

"But you told me you loved me!"

"Yes, I did. And I still do. Nothing has changed, Nikita. My decision has nothing to do with that."

"Then what the fuck does it have to do with?"

He lets go off her and prepares to leave her house. She goes after him and hugs him tightly from behind. "Michael, please. Please don't do this. Don't do this to me, I'm begging you. You promised you wouldn't leave me. You promised me," she sobs hysterically.

He struggles to release himself from her grip. "Please. It's over, Nikita."

"No, no. Don't say that," she pleads.

"Yes, we have to end this. We are hurting a lot of people, including ourselves. Please, don't make this hard on me. You'll find someone else. Someone much better. Someone who can give you the world and everything else you deserve," he says, sobbing uncontrollably.

"But you're that person for me, Michael-"

"No, I'm not."

"I don't want anybody else. Michael, please. I need you."

"Nikita-"

"Please, don't do this. If you have any care for me at all, please-"

He turns his back on her and heads for the door. He does not want to leave her but he knows that if he does not leave now, he will never be able to. He will never be able to right his wrongs and he will hurt more people along the way.

"Go ahead, leave!" she screams angrily. "You already got what you wanted! You just used me!" she says angrily. She sobs like she has never had before. "Get the fuck out of my house! I don't need you! Go to hell!"

He turns around to take one last look at her and sees her kneeling down on the floor with hands on her face. He had never seen her so broken or vulnerable. Then she removes her hands from her face and meets Michael's gaze. Tears are falling on her face and his, and both their eyes are pleading; hers are pleading for him to stay, and his are pleading for her to understand. He turns around and more tears escape his eyes. His heart breaks into pieces. He wants to run up to her and hug her, but he knows he has to make a choice. He hates himself for putting both Liz and Nikita through this. And now, seeing Nikita in pain kills him more than anything, and for her to think that he had used her, pains him beyond belief. He had never meant for her to feel this way. God knows he did not use her. He loved her; loves her, but he cannot love two women at the same time. Sooner of later he is going to have to choose, and the sooner he makes that choice, the less they hurt; or so he thinks. He continues his way out the door, hearing Nikita's screams and sobs sucks all the energy and life out of him. He leaves her house a broken man.


	17. Chapter 17

Alex is on her way home from work when her phone suddenly rings. She checks to see who it is and it's a number she's not familiar with.

"Hello?" she answers.

"Hi, good afternoon. Is this Alexandra?

"Yes, who am I speaking with?"

"My name is Percy. I work with Nikita Mears and your name is the only name in the emergency contact list."

"Yes, Nikita's my cousin. What happened? Is everything okay with Nikita?" she asks nervously.

"Well, that's the thing. We don't know. She hasn't showed up at the office for 2 straight days now; no phone call, no nothing. It's not like her to just not show up. All of us here in the office are worried about her," he explains.

"Don't worry. I'm going to head to her house right now and check up on her. Thank you for calling me," she says, feeling like her heart is pounding a million miles an hour.

"Please let us know how she is. Do you know the number at the office?"

"Yes, I do. Again, thank you so much."

She immediately heads to Nikita's house. She is scared to death of what possibly could have happened to her cousin. The last time she has seen her she was happy, but even then she knew that her happiness was short-lived. As much as she loves Nikita, she has always been open and honest with her about her objection to her affair with Michael. She has never gotten a speeding ticket in her life, but today might be the first as she drives her car faster than she has ever driven before. She arrives at Nikita's house and sees her car parked in the driveway. She rings the bell, but no answer. She searches for the spare key but it is no longer there. She goes around the house, trying to find an open window so she can take a peek inside, but no luck, every single window and door is securely shut. So she decides to smash the window with a rock and forces her way in.

She gets inside the house and scans the place for any sign of Nikita. The house is clean as usual, nothing is disturbed or out of place. She makes her way to the kitchen and living room, and she is not there. By now, her heart is jumping out of her chest. She quickly climbs upstairs to Nikita's bedroom, holding her breath as she gets closer and closer to the door; scared to death on what she will find. She opens the door and is immediately greeted by the amount of mess in the room. The floor is covered in shattered glass; lamp shades are knocked off and curtains have been pulled out and ripped. Then she scans the bed and finds Nikita passed out with several empty bottles of beers and vodka. Alex quickly runs to her and tries to wake her up. "Oh, my God, Nikita. Wake up. Get up!" she says, pulling her up on her feet.

"Go away, Alex!" she says, voice a bit slurred.

"Jesus Christ! What the hell did you do?" she asks, dragging Nikita's limp body to the bathroom.

"Fuck! What the hell are you doing? Let go of me!" Nikita protests, eyes barely open.

"Shut up! Get in the tub!" she screams angrily. She manages to get her to the tub and she turns on the shower.

"What the fuck? Alex! Stop it!" she yells, finally coming to her senses. Her clothes are soaking wet, and Alex is keeping her still in the tub under the cold, running water.

"Get a grip, Nikita. Now wash away that smell of alcohol off your body! This is so not you. What the hell happened to you?"

Nikita begins to cry. Her tears are mixing with the water, and she just sits there taking in every word Alex has to say. Alex turns off the shower and hands her a towel and a robe. She assists her on her feet and Nikita removes her clothes and slips into a robe. She dries her hair with the towel and with the help of Alex, she steps out of the tub and heads back to bed where she and Alex continue their conversation.

"What happened, Nikita?" asks Alex, her voice now gentle and sympathetic.

Nikita looks at her briefly and looks down to avoid her gaze. She is humiliated because Alex was right, everything blew up on her face. She doesn't want Alex to feel sorry for her, or to think that she's weak and stupid.

"You know you can always talk to me. You know I'm always on your side, no matter what," she reassures her.

Nikita begins to break down. "He left me, Alex," she says, voice barely audible.

"What?" she asks in disbelief. She's always known that there was no future between Nikita and Michael, but somehow, hearing the words from her mouth, shocks her more than she expected.

"Michael left me," she sobs. "He left me and went back to his wife."

"Nikita, sweetheart, that woman is his wife. He is married to her and they have a child together," she tries to explain.

"But I'm the one he loves, Alex! Me! Not Liz!" she yells angrily. "He only went back to her because he's afraid to lose his daughter. But he loves me, Alex!"

"Nikita, listen to me. Michael cheated on his wife-"

"He didn't cheat on her. He-"

"Yes, he did. And you were cheating with him. There's no other way to spin that, Nikita."

"She doesn't make him happy, Alex. If she did, he wouldn't have come to me," she says stubbornly.

"No, Nikita. You can't be one of those women who blame the wife for forcing the husband to cheat," she says.

"Alex, listen to me-"

"No, you listen to me. You have to stop this. You have to let him go and move on. He is not yours to have."

"No," she sobs, shaking her head.

"Yes, Nikita. You are hurting a lot of people. You are hurting his wife, his child and even yourself. Look at you for Christ's sake!"

"No, Alex. You don't undertand. He loves me. I'm the one he wants to be with," she says, sobbing hysterically.

"But he is married, Nikita!"

"You don't understand the situation-"

"Is he still married?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then, I understand the situation."

"Alex, listen-"

"No, Nikita. Enough!"

"He loves me, Alex!"

"Nikita, don't you get it? You're the other woman!" she yells angrily.

There, it's been said. Nikita is shocked to hear those words from Alex. She stares at her with so much pain in her eyes. She never knew that words could have such impact on her, but hearing Alex say those words, cuts deep beyond belief.

Alex watches Nikita fall apart right before her eyes. She sees pain in her eyes and she feels bad for saying it the way she did, but she knew that Nikita needed to hear it. It breaks her heart to see Nikita this way. The strongest and most independent person she knows is now sitting here in front of her..broken.

"Nikita, sweetie, come here," she says, voice is now gentle and soft. She moves closer to Nikita and holds her hands. "I never meant to hurt your feelings, you know that, right? But you have to hear it, and I'd rather be the one to tell you than have you hear it from somebody else," she says, tucking some hair behind Nikita's ear. She then grabs her and lays her head gently on her lap. "Sweetie, you of all people should know what it feels like to have your family taken away from you."

Nikita continues to sob and grips the sheets tightly. Alex looks down on her and starts brushing her hair with her fingers, trying every way to comfort her.

"Nikki, your dad left you and your mom when you were a kid. You saw how that screwed up your mom, and you saw the hell that she went through, that you went through. Please, do not be the cause of other people's suffering," she pleads.

"But I love him, Alex," she continues to sob. "I have never loved anyone like this before, and I can't just give him up. I can't just give us up. Not if he loves me, too."

"Do you remember when we were kids you used to call your daddy's mistress a "monster"? Nikita, you are THAT monster in his little girl's life. In that little girl's eyes, you are a monster."

Her words cut deep into her soul. She puts her hands on her face and begins to sob uncontrollably. Alex holds her tightly and cradles her on the bed. She holds her tightly, letting her know she's there for her no matter what.

"Shhhh. Everything will be alright. I won't leave you I promise," Alex assures her.

"Alex-" she sobs.

"I know, sweetie. I know," she says, rubbing her back repeatedly. "I know."

xxx

It's been days since he last saw his family and Nikita. He's been so busy trying to win his wife back that he does not even notice Nikita missing. He has been busy with a new case, as well. This morning, however, he is greeted by Owen, who is having coffee in the lounge.

"Good morning," says Michael, grabbing the coffee pot.

"Morning," he says, looking at him. "So do you know where Nikita is?" he asks, sipping from his cup.

Hearing her name makes his heart ache. He misses her so much, but he knows he needs to stay away, and that is perhaps one of the hardest things he ever had to do.

"No," he replies.

"Oh. Everyone's worried, man, especially Percy," he explains, sounding a lot more serious than he normally does.

Michael turns around and gives him a concerned look. "Percy's concerned? Why? What happened to Nikita?" he asks, heart beating a little faster.

"That's the thing, man. We don't know. She hasn't showed up for work for days now. No phone call, no nothing. That's not like her at all."

Michael puts down his cup and quickly runs out of the room.

xxx

Michael drives to Nikita's house as fast as he can. All he can think about right now is the last time he had seen her. Her loud sobs and pleads keep playing and playing in his head and it is driving him insane. He hates himself for it. He will never forgive himself if anything happens to Nikita. He loves her, with all of his heart. But they had the right love at the wrong time. He wishes everyday that things were different, that they were less complicated. But life is not fair, nor easy. You don't always get what you want, and you cannot always have the best of both worlds. Sometimes you have to sacrifice one thing, to have another. You have to lose, in order to gain. As ugly as it sounds, and as painful as it feels, it is what it is. And life must go on. Tears roll down his cheek as he remembers all the time he spent with Nikita; her smile, her laugh, the way she looked at him.

He arrives at Nikita's house and sees two cars parked in the drive way. One is Nikita's and the other one is unfamiliar to him. He rings the bell, and Alex opens the door.

"Yes, may I help you?" Alex asks, not recognizing who he is.

"Is Nikita there?" he asks, with a worried look on his face. "I, uh, I need to talk to her."

Alex becomes suspicious. Even though she has never met Michael, she suddenly gets a strong feeling that the man standing in front of her is indeed Michael; the man who broke her cousin's heart.

"You're Michael, aren't you?" she finally asks.

"Yes," he answers, looking behind her for any sign of Nikita. "Is she there?" he asks, voice is filled with the mixture of sadness and despair.

"Yes, she's here. But there's no way in hell I'm letting you see her," she says angrily.

Though, he has never met Alex before, he could tell that this woman is somehow related to Nikita. The way she talks, the way she carries herself..she is just like Nikita. "Please, I just need to talk to her," he pleads.

"No. You've done enough damage, Michael."

"Please, I just need a minute, that's all I need. I just need to see her," he begs.

"You need to leave now."

"Please-"

"Do you have any idea what you've put her through? Do you?!" she says angrily, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I never meant to hurt her. Please, let me in. If I could just see her-"

"No, you can't see her."

Michael is now desperate and decides that he has to see her. He needs to see her. He makes his way inside and Alex tries to block him, but he gently pushes her to the side and runs upstairs to Nikita's bedroom.

"Nikita!" he yells, as he climbs the stairs. "Nikita!"

Her name echoes through the hallway but there is still no sign of her. He passes all of the other rooms before finally reaching her bedroom. He slowly opens the door and immediately sees Nikita laying in bed. She is sleeping peacefully, dried tears still on her face. Eventhough he is not able to look into her eyes, he can see how broken she is because he, too, is broken. He tries so hard to fight the strong urge to run up to her and hug her tightly. Alex comes up behind him and pulls him out of the room.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"I just wanted to see her-"

"Now you've seen her, so leave! Go!" she says angrily.

"Please-"

"Michael, please, I'm begging you. Please stay away from her. Just go get your wife back and just forget about Nikita," she pleads.

"I can't," he says, looking down. "I wish it was that easy."

"Can't you see it? You two are not meant to be together," she says, voice is gentle and sympathetic.

"I love her," he says, voice cracking.

"Then, stay away from her. You've already caused her so much pain. Just stay away."

Michael looks down and quickly turns around to take another look at Nikita. He couldn't believe that just a few days ago, he and Nikita were in each other's arms; that they were happy and everything was perfect. The way she looked at him that night; the way she held him and the way she said "I love you" to him over and over again. And now, standing just a few feet away from her, he looks at her and sees nothing but a broken Nikita, and he blames no one else but himself. He loves her so much that it hurts; it hurts not to see her, not to hear her voice everyday; not to hear her laugh or see her smile; it hurts not to be able to hold her; it hurts not to be with her. But somehow he always knew inside that he would not have her for a long time. He turns back to Alex and holds back the tears that are threatening to fall. "Please take care of her. Please tell her I love her." Without waiting for an answer, he quickly makes his way downstairs and leaves her house. He gets into his car and breaks down. "I'm so sorry, Nikita. Please forgive me," he sobs.

xxx

It's getting late and half of the people at the office have already left. For days, Michael has been staying in late. He spends most of his time at work. He is always the first one in, and the last one out. He figures that if he kept himself busy, he'll be able to forget about Liz, Hayley and most importantly, Nikita. He sits in his office, reviewing hundreds of documents when someone knocks on the door.

"Come in," he says, eyes fixed on the paper.

"Hey, man. Aren't you going home yet?" asks Owen.

"No, I have to finish this," he answers, not looking.

"Look, the guys and I are going to a bar for a drink. You should come."

"No, thanks. I'll just stay here."

"Come on. It'll be fun. It'll help get your mind off things," he says, convincing Michael.

Michael thinks about it for a minute. He puts his pen down and wipes his forehead with the back of his hand. "Okay. What the hell, right?"

"Alright, man. Let's go!"

xxx

Michael, Owen and three of their colleagues arrive at the bar. The five of them sit at the bar and order their drinks. Michael orders several shots of vodka and a couple of bottles of beers. Owen may not be friends with Michael but he knows very well why he has been in such a terrible mood lately, and why Nikita hasn't shown up for work for a week.

Owen sips his beer and looks at Michael. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Michael takes another shot of vodka and avoids Owen's stare. "Talk about what?"

"Come on, Michael. I know about you and Nikita. And I know that your current mood has something to do with her absence from work," he says, taking a shot.

Michael stays quiet and takes another shot. By now he is already feeling a little buzzed, and oddly, he is feeling a little chatty, too. "How did you know about me and Nikita?"

"I saw you two slow-dancing in Hawaii," he says playfully.

Michael couldn't help but chuckle. He takes another shot as memories of that night flash in his mind; the way Nikita danced with him; the way she smelled; the way she looked; Hawaii brings back bittersweet memories.

Owen watches him intently and he realizes that what he saw back in Hawaii was more than just a fling; it is something much more deeper and serious. "Do you love her?" he asks.

"Yes, I do," he answers without hesitation.

"What about your wife? What are you going to do when she finds out?"

"She has already found out," he replies, speech is now a little slurred.

"What?" he exclaims.

"She found out and left me. She left me and took my kid," he explains, taking yet another shot of vodka.

"I'm sorry, man. I didn't know," says Owen, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I deserve it because I'm a stupid son-of-a-bitch!"

"Hey, man. I think you've had enough drink. Let's just talk."

"No. I'm fine. Alcohol helps me forget," he says smiling.

"What about Nikita?"

Michael stops and wipes his face with his hands. He then lets out a deep sigh and starts clutching the shot glass with his hand. "It's over between us," he says, putting his head down.

"Why?"

"I had to break it off because-"

"Because of your wife and kid?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. I'm married and-"

"So you broke it off because it's the right thing to do? Not because you love your wife?"

Michael looks at Owen. To be honest, he has not even thought about that. Liz has been out of the house for a week but he hasn't even thought about her as much as he has about Nikita. Sure, he has been trying to get her back but only because he feels like he has to; because she is his wife and they have a kid, but his heart has only been screaming one name, and that is Nikita's. "She's my wife and we have a kid-"

"I'm sorry, man. I know it's none of my business but from what I see here, it seems to me like you are in love with Nikita and not your wife."

"I love my wife-"

"But you love Nikita more," he says, interrupting Michael.

Michael does not answer. He, himself, is confused and does not know the answer to that question. God knows he loves Liz, there's no doubt about that. But he loves Nikita, too. "I don't know what to do."

By this time, Owen is just as drunk as he is. He had the same amout of alcohol, if not more. "Just choose your wife, man. Nikita is a slut, anyway. She sleeps around with different guys-"

Michael does not let him finish his sentence. He jumps out of his seat and grabs him by the collar. "Don't you talk to Nikita that way!" he screams angrily. The alcohol in his system makes him aggressive and violent. "Take that back!"

"Get the fuck off me, man!" he says, struggling to keep his balance.

"Nikita's not a slut! Son-of-a-bitch! Take it back!" he screams, tightening his grip even more.

The bartender and their other colleagues try to separate the two of them. They grab Michael and pushes him off Owen. Owen starts to cough violently. "I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean to upset you. Let just continue having drinks and forget this ever happened.

"Fuck you! Don't you ever talk to Nikita that way, do you hear me? Don't ever talk to her that way!"

xxx

Alex has been staying over at Nikita's house for the past days. She doesn't want Nikita to feel lonely or isolated so she moved in temporarily. Nikita has not returned to work and has been staying in her bedroom most of the time. Alex is really worried about her. Then, as she makes her way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, Nikita steps in wearing a really short, tight dress. She is completely dolled up. Alex's mouth drops.

"Where are you going?" she asks confusedly.

"Out," she says, putting on her stilettos.

"I can see that. But out where?"

"Alex, this isn't the first time you've seen me go out late."

"I know that but you're-"

"I'm what? Life goes on, Alex," she says, voice filled with anger.

"Nikita-"

"I'll see you in the morning," she says, heading out the door. She locks the front door and continues her way to her car. As she is unlocking the door of her car, she sees Michael approaching her. His shirt is messy and he is walking funny.

"Nikita," he says, struggling to keep his balance.

Nikita is shocked to see him. She looks at him and realizes he's drunk. She misses him; a part of her is happy to see him but a big part for her feels hurt that he had abandoned her and chose his wife over her. "Move. I'm in a hurry," she says, opening the door.

He closes the door a little roughly and grabs her shoulder. He looks at her from head to toe. "You're going out?" he asks.

"Yes. Now move!" she says, pushing him out of the way.

"You're going out on a date?"

"It's none of your business, now let go of me," she says, yanking her arm out of his grip. What the hell are you doing here by the way?" she asks angrily.

"I, uh. I just wanted to see you."

"Wanted to see me?" she laughs. "That's odd. The last time I checked you wanted nothing to do with me," she says bitterly.

"Nikita-"

"Why? I mean, if I recall correctly you were the one who left me," she says, eyes filled with both pain and anger.

"Nikita, please-"

"You wanted me out of your life then all of a sudden you'll show up at my house and tell me you wanted to see me? That's bullshit, Michael."

"Nikita-"

"I don't want to hear it, Michael," she says, tears falling down her cheeks.

"You think I want this? You think I wanted this to happen to us?" he says, tears escape his eyes.

"I gotta go," she says, trying to avoid confrontation. Honestly, right now she doesn't think she can handle any more of this. She has been through so much pain these past few days, and she regrets showing him weakness. She feels like she allowed herself to get hurt, and fall in love with a man who cannot even seem to make up his mind about what he really wants.

"I don't want this Nikita, please believe me," he pleads.

"Believe you? Like I believed you when you said you wouldn't leave me? Or like when I believed you when you said you loved me?"

"Do you think this is easy for me?"

"Just go!" she says, pushing him off her.

He tightens his grip on her shoulders. "It feels like my life isn't even real to me unless you're there, you're in it and I'm sharing it with you," he says, looking her straight in the eye.

"Michael, stop-" she pleads.

"I love you, Nikita, with all my heart. But I have a wife and a daughter and I don't know what the hell to do."

"Please, just go." she begs.

"Please don't hate me," he pleads. "Please don't hate me. I never used you. Everything I ever told you was true. It's all true. Nikita, please-" He grabs Nikita and kisses her passionately.

She pushes him off her. "Stop! Let's stop this game, Michael. We both know who you're going to choose so I'll make this easier on both of us. It's over, Michael," she says sobbing.

"Nikita-" he sobs, kneeling in front of her and hugging her tightly by the waist. "I don't know what to do. Nikita, please. I don't know what to do."

"Goodbye, Michael," she says, fighting back the tears. She manages to free herself from his grip and quickly jumps into her car. She quickly drives off and watches Michael from her rear mirror. She sees him still kneeling on the ground, crying and hitting his head with the palm of his hands over and over again. She breaks down and lights a cigarette, and turns on the radio very loudly, trying to stop Michael's voice from replaying in her head.

Michael watches her drive off into the dark. He wanted to stop her but didn't. He walks to the garbage cans and start punching them over and over again until his knuckles start to bleed. "Nikita!"


	18. Chapter 18

"You are so beautiful," he says, as he places wet kisses on her naked back.

Hearing those words again breaks her heart. Those words used to sound like music to her ears; they made her feel special, loved and wanted. But hearing those words come from another man's mouth just brings back bittersweet memories. Her heart aches because the man she woke up next to this morning is not Michael. Waking up without Michael in her life is so much worse than any hang-over she can possibly have.

Without responding to Will, the man she met at the bar last night, she quickly rolls over and gets out of bed. "Hey, where are you going?" he asks, trying to grab her hand but fails.

"You better get going. I need to get ready for work," she says coldly.

She puts on a robe and heads downstairs to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. She enters the kitchen and finds Alex having coffee and reading a newspaper.

"Goodmorning," greets Alex, giving her a warm smile. "How was your night?"

"It's alright," she answers, sipping her coffee.

"I saw Michael in the driveway last night and he was a mess," she says, searching her eyes for any reaction or emotion but there is none.

Before Nikita could even say anything, Will steps into the kitchen and walks over to Nikita. Alex's mouth drops open and her eyes follow the strange man.

"Bye, beautiful. Will I see you tonight?" he asks.

"Sure," she says, not really paying attention to him.

He kisses her briefly on the lips, "See you later. Bye."

Alex watches him walk away and immediately turns her attention to Nikita. "Who the hell was that?"

Nikita turns around and prepares to walk away. Alex catches up to her and grabs her by the elbow. "Nikita?"

"His name is Will. I met him at the bar last night," she says, annoyed.

"I don't care what his name is. What I meant was, what are you doing with him?"

"Alex, I'm a grown woman. I can do whatever I want."

"Nikita, I know you're hurting but please, do not do this to yourself."

"Do what to myself? This was my life before, remember? This was me before I met Michael. I've been doing it for years and everything was perfect," she says, voice starting to crack.

"Sweetie, if you think by going back to your old ways and sleeping around with different guys is going to help you forget Michael then you're wrong. You're just going to torture yourself."

"Alex, please-"

"Nikita-"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore! I don't want to talk about him ever again!" she screams angrily. "It hurts, Alex," she says, tears are now beginning to fall. "It hurts too much. I just want to move on and pretend that this nightmare never happened."

"Sweetie, Michael-"

"Michael abandoned me," she says with anger and bitterness in her voice.

"Nikita, he-"

Nikita puts her cup down and turns away. "He made a choice and we both have to live with it."

She leaves the kitchen and Alex watches her walk away. She does not like what she sees. She knows very well that Nikita is hurting but she is fighting her own emotions. She uses alcohol and random men to forget about Michael and to ease away her pain, but Alex knows that it is going to take more than booze and one-night stands for her to be okay mentally and emotionally.

xxx

Liz and Hayley have been staying at Amanda's house for several days now. She is not quite sure what to do, and honestly, she misses Michael very much. She's been thinking for days, forcing herself to hate him. But her love for him is too strong that there is not even room for hate. If anything, she misses him so much and worries about his well-being. Despite everything he has done, she knows in her heart that he is a good father; there's no doubt about that. She knows that it kills him not to see Hayley, and Hayley feels the same way. She has been asking for her daddy since they left the house.

"Mommy?" she says, as she ties her shoes. "When are we going home?"

She looks at her daughter and sees sadness in her eyes. It breaks her heart to see her child hurting and there is nothing she can do to make it all better. "Come here, sweetheart," she says, opening her arms to embrace her daughter. "Mommy and Daddy are having problems right now. We can't go home just yet."

Hayley begins to cry. "But I miss Daddy," she says, wiping her eyes with her shirt.

"I know, sweetheart," she replies, rubbing her back gently.

"Can we please see him, Mommy? Please?" she pleads.

"Hayley-"

"Please," she sobs. "Please, Mommy. I promise I'll be a good girl."

"Sweetheart, you-"

"It's my fault! You and Daddy are fighting because of me. Because I'm a bad girl," she says, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Hey, Hayley, listen to Mommy. It is not your fault, do you understand me? It's not your fault. Dad and I-"

"Yes, it is. I promise Mommy I will be a good girl. Just please take Daddy back. I want to go home. Please?!"

Liz feels her heart shatter into million little pieces. To see her little girl cry is one thing, but to see her blame herself for their separation kills her. She picks up Hayley and hugs her very tightly. "I'll call Daddy. Hush now, sweetheart. Mommy will call Daddy," she promises, kissing her head as she speaks.

Hayley's face instantly lights up. The tears are quickly replaced by a big smile. "You will?" she asks happily.

Liz gives her a smile. "Yes. I'll ask him to come over tonight."

Hayley cries again, but this time, she cries happy tears. "Thank you, Mommy!"

xxx

Nikita arrives at the office parking lot and immediately sees Michael's car parked next to Percy's. She lets out a long, deep sigh and her heart begins to race.

She gets out of the car and straightens her shirt. She walks confidently and happily in the office, masking the intense pain she is feeling inside. She has already allowed herself to be vulnerable once and she will not let that happen again.

The elevator doors open and she quickly spots Michael standing in the hall taking to Percy and Ryan. Her heart beats even faster, and she can feel some sweat forming in her back and forehead. She wipes her forehead gently with her left hand and forces a big smile. She walks slowly towards them, smiling from ear to ear.

"Goodmorning, gentlemen," she says.

Michael blinks several times and looks at her from head to toe. He cannot believe how calm and happy she is. A part of him is happy to see her doing well, but a part of him feels sad and hurt that she is moving on faster than he is. He forces a fake smile but he couldn't get his eyes off her. His eyes remained glued to hers, hoping that hers will drift to his so she can see everything he feels and wants to say. However, her eyes never do.

"It's good to see you, Nikita," says Percy. "You had me worried there for a minute."

"Sorry. I just had things to take care of," she answers smiling.

"Everything good now?"

"Yes. Everything's great. It was nothing worth my time and attention," she says bitterly, forcing a fake smile. She looks at Michael and sees him looking right at her. His eyes are filled with sadness and the longingness to be with her is clearly visible. Suddenly, sadness comes over her and the need to hold him and be held by him is taking over, but she fights it; she fights it hard. She scolds herself for still loving him, for not being able to hate him despite all of the pain he has caused her. "Alright, I'll get going. I have tons of work to do. Now behave boys," she says flirtatiously, winking her left eye.

She walks away and Michael watches her. He wants to hug her, kiss her; he wants to touch her and feel her touch. He misses her so much; he misses the way her lips curl up when she smiles, how she squeals like a little girl when tickled and the smell of her beautiful long hair. God, he misses her. She turns around one last time before she steps into her office and her eyes meet his. They gaze at each other from afar. The desire and need to be together is too strong it is almost unbearable. She smiles at him sadly and continues her way inside.

He, too, smiles a sad smile and reaches for his right hand. He stares down at his wedding ring and suddenly imagines the life he could have had if he didn't have that ring on his finger. He suddenly imagines the life he could have had with Nikita; where they could have been, and how happy they would have been. Then, memories of the past come flashing without warning. Those happy times he had shared with Liz and Hayley. The times they had spent as a family. He misses those days, their smiles, but he knows he had messed up and he knows that his feelings for Liz has changed since he had met Nikita. He knows in his heart that he still loves her, he always will, but he is not in love with her anymore. It is unfortunate but it is the truth; the truth that he has been trying to deny for so long. His heart just simply does not belong to her anymore, and the longer they stay apart, the more he realizes it.

xxx

"Goodnight, Ryan," she says, making her way to the elevators.

"Leaving early? I'm shocked," he teases.

She laughs and hits his shoulder gently. "Well, a girl's gotta have a little fun, right?" she replies playfully.

"Oh, I see. You're going on a date," he says smiling.

"Goodnight, Ryan," she says, flashing him a flirtatious smile. She takes the elevator and calls Alex on her cellphone.

"Nikki?"

"Hey, you. Are you busy?"

"Not really. What's up?"

"Let's have dinner. Please? i just don't want to be alone tonight," she says.

"Of course, sweetie. Where to?"

"NoBu?"

"Sounds great."

The elevator opens and Nikita's heart begins to pound. She sees Michael standing there, looking just as surprised as she is. He enters the elevator and does not press any button.

"Okay, great. I'll meet you there in an hour. Bye."

Michael eyes widen and his heart begins to race. He knows he was the one who pushed her away, and that they had already ended things between them but seeing her move on and the thought of seeing her with another man, loving another man, kills him beyond belief. He cannot and will not be able to take that. He looks at her and sees her pressing her phone frantically trying to avoid him. "Nikita-"

The elevator door opens before he can even get another word out. The both of them sigh at the same time. Nikita sighs in relief, and Michael sighs in frustration. They arrive at the ground floor and Nikita exits the elevator as fast as she can. She walks quickly, hoping that Michael will not follow. But Michael catches up to her. He follows her, walking just as fast as she is.

"Nikita, please-"

"Michael, I'm in a hurry. Let's just talk some other day, okay?" she says, frantically searching her purse for her car keys as she walks.

They reach her car and Nikita tries to open the door, but Michael grabs her hand and stops her.

"Why are you avoiding me, Nikita?" he asks sadly, eyes filled with sorrow.

"We're done, Michael. I need to move on. We both do," she answers, voice is gentle and soft.

"I know I was the one who said that we needed to move on and end everything between us, but I never thought it would be this hard and painful to see you live your own life," he says, voice cracking.

"Michael-"

"I'm a coward, Nikita.

"Please, I gotta go," she pleads, almost in tears. She turns around and tries to open the door.

"Nikita, please-" he begs, hugging her tightly from behind.

"Please, just let me go," she says, tears begin to fall. "Just let me go."

Michael begins sobbing. "I can't. I wish it was that easy but I can't. The thought of seeing you with another man, loving another man, spending your life with another man, is killing me. It's killing me, Nikita!"

"Please, Michael, stop," she sobs.

"I don't want to lose you."

Nikita tries to free herself from his grip, but Michael quickly steps in front of her. He grabs her face and leans his forehead against hers. "Please, Nikita. Tell me you still love me," he begs.

"Michael-"

"Please. Tell me I'm still the one," he pleads, tears falling down his cheeks.

"No," she says, trying so hard to fight her own feelings. "I don't love you anymore."

"No, no. I don't believe you. Please don't say that."

"Michael, please. I have to go."

Michael couldn't let her go. Instead, he crashes his lips onto hers. He kisses her lovingly and passionately, clinging to her as tightly as he could. He can feel her body stiffen with his touch. But oddly, she does not pull away. She tries so hard to fight her emotions and forget her love for him, but feeling his touch once again, the touch that she has been longing for, makes her realize that he is still her weakness. She kisses him back hesitantly at first, but she eventually gives in and reciprocates his kiss with just the same passion and intensity. He slides his tongue and she gladly accepts it and tangles it with her own. They continue to kiss passionately, allowing their emotions to dictate their actions. He pushes her agains her car and a small moan escapes her mouth. He grabs the key from her hand and opens the door to the backseat. He gently pushes Nikita inside and he quickly follows. He lays Nikita down on the backseat and he lays on top of her. Their kiss now becomes rough, both desperate to get closer. The need to touch and be touched is gaining its intensity, and they can no longer tolerate the barriers between them. They frantically undress each other, hands shaking as they go along. Then it feels like a deja vu: them naked wrapped in each other's arms. Michael suddenly breaks the kiss, and looks down at Nikita. Her eyes snap open at the loss of his lips on hers. They gaze in each other's eyes, and in them they see love and hope. He closes his eyes and kisses her again. But this time, the kiss is gentle and slow. She pulls away and caresses his lower lip with her thumb.

"Make love to me," she whispers.

Michael closes the gap between them and places himself between her legs. Right before he enters her he pulls away and brushes her hair out of her face. "Open your eyes and look at me," he says, eyes filled with the mixture of love and lust.

She opens her eyes and wraps her arms around his neck. He enters her and both of them moan at the same time. Nikita closes her eyes and turns her head to side, biting her lower lip as he moves in and out. Michael places his hands on her breasts, squeezing them while he thrusts. He groans and throws his head back. Nikita grips his hips tightly, demanding him to go even faster.

"Nikita, look at me."

She opens her eyes and lock them with his. They look at each other as they move in sync. The pressure is building up and it is becoming unbearable for the both of them. Both of them are in desperate need of release. They have been in pain for weeks, and they have been longing for each other since. Nikita digs her fingernails into his flesh, and he knows that she is nearing her orgasm. He thrusts even harder, and changes the angle of her hips so he can go even deeper into her.

"Michael," she moans, voice hoarsed.

"Say my name again," he says breathlessly.

She bites her lower lip and scratches Michael's back. She moans quietly, knowing that they are in a parking lot and can get caught any minute. "Michael," she says.

He smiles and continues to thrust. He looks down and sees Nikita falling apart. She grips his wrists violently and her eyes roll. Her mouth opens up and her back begins to arch, and right then he knew she is almost there. And sure enough she comes. She reaches her orgasm and screams. But Michael quickly covers her mouth with his hand to muffle her scream. He can feel her muscle tighten and contract around him, and he continues to pound her. He then thrusts harder one last time and he finally reaches his orgasm.

"Nikita," he moans, collapsing on top of her.

Both of them are breathless and sweating profusely. Michael raises his head and looks at Nikita who is breathing heavily with eyes closed. He captures her lips and kisses her gently.

"I love you, Nikita."

xxx


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello, Nikitaperves! Sadly, our favorite TV show has wrapped 2 days ago. I personally feel upset and depressed because I'm a new fan of the show. I just started watching 'Nikita' last March so it being canceled this soon makes me feel so robbed. Anyway, I'll stop now before I start eating my hair in the corner and choke with my own goddamn tears. To my beautiful bitches, here you go. Hope you like this chapter. And more importantly, I hope you'll stop bugging me for an update. Haha! And to my crema de putas, AMY, JEZZA and LEXIE, aylabyoo, pekpeks! Haha! Enjoy! **

**xxxx**

The rain is pouring hard outside and the room is cold and dimly lit. It is now 3:30 in the morning and Michael is still awake. He has not slept at all last night. He lays on his side and puts one arm under his head. He stares at Nikita and watches her sleep peacefully. Her calm and steady breathing is like music to his ears, soothing him. He focuses his attention on her face, admiring the beauty of the woman he fell in love with. He cannot recall the exact moment he fell in love with her. All he knows is, he has fallen deeply and madly in love with her. He wants to touch her but is afraid he might wake her.

A strong gush of wind blew outside and Nikita is quickly awakened by the noise. She opens her eyes and sees Michael awake, staring at her. "Michael?" she says in a sleepy voice. "How long have you been awake?"

"Shhh. Go back to sleep," he says quietly, caressing her cheek with his hand.

"Why are you awake so early?" she asks, eyes half shut.

"I didn't sleep."

Nikita's eyes snap open and she props herself with a pillow. "Why? Is it because of what happened last night? Do you regret it?" she asks, voice filled with fear and sadness.

He grabs her closer to him and embraces her tightly. "No, never. I'm just happy to have you back, that's all," he reassures her, kissing the side of her head.

"Michael, what about-"

He interrupts her before she could even finish her sentence. He knows what she is about to say. "You're the one I want to be with, Nikita. You have nothing to worry about."

"But Michael-"

"Shhhh," he silences her with a passionate kiss. "I'll deal with Liz, I promise. But right now I want to cherish this moment with you," he says, kissing her again.

xxx

Michael had just finished talking to a client when his cellphone suddenly rings. He looks and sees Liz's name flashing on the screen. He and Liz haven't talked or seen each other since that early morning confrontation in their bedroom. He knows sooner or later the two of them will need to talk, but he never expected to rekindle her romance with Nikita. And honestly, his reconciliation with Nikita changes everything. He has known for a while that his heart no longer belongs to Liz, but he has been in denial due to the fact that she is his wife and they have a child together. But he has realized that he could no longer fool himself into believing that he is still in love with her. He loves Liz, he always will. After all, she is the mother of his child and the woman he married and exchanged vows with. However, he also knows that he would only hurt her more if he stayed with her because then he'd be lying to her; pretending to be happy eventhough his heart screams Nikita's name.

"Liz?" he answers, voice is gentle and soft.

"Hi, Michael. How are you?" she says, trying to be as civil as possible.

"I'm okay. You? How are you? How's Hayley?" he asks, voice is full of remorse.

"Hayley's okay, I guess. She misses you, Michael. She's looking for you," she replies, voice cracking.

Michael's heart breaks for his little girl. He knows how much this is hurting her, and he wishes that he could somehow make everything better, but he knows he couldn't go back. "Tell her Daddy misses her, too. So much."

"I know you and I are having a thing right now but we have a daughter and she needs both of us."

"I know, Liz," he says, staring at the picture of his little girl on his desk. "Can I see her?"

"Actually, that's the reason I called. She wants to see you. She wants us to have dinner together. You, me and her," she explains.

"When and where?" he asks, heart jumping for joy. It's been a while since he last saw and hugged his little girl.

"How about tonight?"

"Tonight sounds perfect."

"Okay then. Let's have dinner at Amanda's place. She will be at work so you don't have to worry about her being there."

"Alright. I'll see you guys at dinner. Thanks, Liz."

"Bye."

Liz clutches the phone to her chest. She sobs silently, trying not to draw attention from Amanda. Hearing his voice rips her heart apart. She misses Michael so much. She wants to hug him and kiss him, and hear him call her "honey" like before. But she knows, she can feel it, that something in Michael has changed. The way he talked to her, how impersonal the call was, tells her that she had completely lost her husband.

xxx

The bell rings and Hayley excitedly runs to the door. She opens it and immediate jumps up and down. "Daddy! You came!"

Michael picks her up and kisses her cheeks. "Of course I came. I've missed you, sweetheart."

"I've missed you, too, Daddy. You have no idea," she says, voice cracking. She hugs her dad tightly and buries her face on the side of his neck.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asks, rubbing his daughter's back gently.

"I just missed you," she says, silently crying on his dad's shoulder.

"I know, sweetheart. Me, too," he says, hugging her tightly.

Liz walks out of the kitchen and sees Michael and Hayley hugging. Michael smiles at her and she smiles back in return. "Hungry?"

"Very," he replies.

Dinner is finally over and Michael took Hayley upstairs. He read her a couple of bedtime stories and tucked her to bed. He then returns downstairs, where he knows Liz is waiting. He does not want to face Liz yet but he knows he has to. He needs to settle their issues once and for all, and clear to her where he stands in their marriage. He walks to the living room and sees Liz sitting in front of the fire place sipping a glass of wine. She is so lost in thoughts that she didn't even hear him enter the room.

"Liz?"

She snaps out of her thoughts and turns her head to Michael. "Please, have a sit."

Michael takes the seat across from her, hands clutched together. "We need to talk," he says, voice gentle and soft.

"I know," she replies, putting her glass down on the table.

"Look-"

"No, let me go first," she interrupts. "I know you've screwed up, and what you did has hurt me beyond belief-"

"Liz-"

"But I am willing to put it all behind me and forget that it ever happened," she says in tears. "It hurt me, it still does, but I don't want our family to break up," she sobs. She grabs Michael's hands and pulls him closer to her. "We can get through this, Michael. We have to, for our daughter."

Michael puts his head down and fights back the tears. He cannot stand to look her in the eye because he sees everything in there; all the pain that he had inflicted, and the hope that he knows he cannot give. Liz can easily see through him. After all, he is her husband and she knows him better than anyone.

"You don't want to fix it, do you?" she says softly, releasing Michael's hands.

"Liz-"

"Do you love her?" she asks, tears flowing down her face.

Michael's tears begin to fall. He nods his head, "Yes, I do." He continues to look down, couldn't really bring himself to look at her. He knows how painful this might be for her, and it pains him too, because despite of everything, she is still his child's mother and the woman he once loved. "Liz, I'm sorry," he says.

Liz does not say anything else. She wants to but she couldn't even form the words. She is shocked and in complete disbelief. Her husband is gone. She lost Michael and her family, and there is nothing she could do about it. She gets up and prepares to leave, but Michael grabs her arm and turns her around.

"Liz, I'm sorry. Please forgive me," he cries.

"Michael, please. Just go," she sobs. "Just go!"

"Liz-"

"Please, I'm begging you. Leave."

Michael releases her arm and slowly makes his way towards the door. He looks at her one last time and sees her sobbing. He closes the door and stands in front of it for a while. He can hear Liz's sobs and it rips his heart apart. As horrible as it is, he knows he did the right thing. He knows that staying in the marriage would only hurt them both and their child.

xxx

Nikita arrives at the restaurant where she is supposed to meet Alex for dinner. She knew Michael was going to have dinner with Liz to have a talk, THE TALK, so she decided to call Alex and take her out to dinner. After all, she does owe her at least that for taking care of her for the past weeks, and for standing her up the other night. She knows she owes her cousin a lot but for now, a fancy dinner would do. She enters the restaurant and walks towards the front desk.

"Hi, I'm Nikita Mears and I have a reservation for two."

The waitress leads her to a table right by the huge window where they can see the entire city below them. She sits down and checks her phone for any missed call or text messages, and there is none. She does not want to admit it but she feels scared and threatened by Liz. Just knowing that Michael is there with his wife having dinner is driving her insane. As much as she'd like to believe in Michael's words and promises, she finds it hard to do so because he had once broken his promise to her and left her for his wife. And right now she does not know what to think anymore. She clutches her phone tightly, fighting the strong urge to call Michael. But before she could do anything, Alex shows up.

"Wow. You really do feel bad for standing me up the other night, don't you?" teases Alex. "This is fancy."

"Of course. This is the least I could do," she says, giving her a warm smile.

Alex takes a seat and studies Nikita's face. She can see that she is very happy, which confuses her considering she's been in such a terrible mood for weeks. She raises her eyebrow and confronts her with her suspicions. "Are you back with Michael?"

"What?" she says surprised.

"You heard," she says firmly. "Are you?"

"Alex-"

"I knew it."

"Look, listen to me-"

"Nikita, what are you doing? Have you not learned your lesson at all?" she asks irritatedly.

"It's not what you think," she explains. "Michael is leaving his wife."

"Oh, is that so? Is that supposed to make everything better? Is that supposed to make things right?"

"Alex, please-"

"God, Nikita! How can you be so stupid? Forgive me for saying that but seriously, are you not thinking at all? Are you really that selfish?"

"Can't I be selfish for once, huh, Alex? All I want is to be happy, is that so horrible? I just want to be happy just like everyone else! All my life I've been abandoned. No one ever loved me or cared for me. And then Michael came along and he became that person. He loves me, Alex. He loves me!"

"But he is not yours, Nikita. I've told you that many times."

"But he is willing to give himself to me, Alex. He is willing to leave his wife and be with me."

Alex has had enough. She gets up from her seat and grabs her purse. "Look, Nikita, I love you with all my heart and there is nothing I want more in this world than to see you happy. But that does not mean I'm just gonna sit back and watch you ruin other people's lives. If you want to be with Michael, go right ahead. But you're on your own," she says angrily.

Nikita watches Alex walk away. She and Alex have never fought before, not even when they were young. She is the sister she never had, and the only person who stood by her through it all. When everyone else turned their backs on her, Alex was the only one who stayed by her side. But right now she does not have Alex. Alex is completely against her decision and her relationship with Michael, and that hurts her more than anything.

xxx

Nikita gets home close to midnight. She headed to a nearby bar after she left the restaurant. She could have gone straight home but she knew Michael wouldn't be there and she didn't want to be alone, so she stayed at the bar and had several drinks. She of all people should have known that driving under the influence is illegal and can land herself in jail, but she was too depressed and sad to care.

She pulls up in the driveway and sees Michael's car parked there. Her heart instantly jumps for joy. She hops out of her car and quickly makes her way inside the house. She opens the door and the house is dark. She assumes that Michael is upstairs sleeping. After all, it is already late. She climbs upstairs and quietly opens the door to the bedroom. She opens the door and immediately sees Michael sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at her. It seems like he has been waiting for her all night. The room is dimly lit with several candles, and rose petals are scattered on the floor and all over the bed. Right next to the closet she sees three huge luggage. She looks at Michael and sees him walking towards her with a smile on his face.

"Hi, there," he greets, kissing her on the lips. "I've been waiting for you."

"Hi. I was just -what is all this?" she says, looking around.

He takes another step closer and kisses her again, and this time, he tastes the alcohol in her mouth. "Have you been drinking?"

"I just had a few drinks," she says, avoiding his gaze.

He lifts her chin and looks her deeply in the eye. "It's over, Nikita."

"What?" she asks, not sure if she heard him correctly.

"Liz and I are over," he says, resting his forehead against hers. "I moved out. I'm all yours, Nikita, and you're mine."

Nikita smiles happily and kisses him passionately. "Really?" she asks, kissing him again.

"Yes," he replies, placing both his hands on the side of her neck. "I want to be with you, Nikita. I choose you."

"I love you, Michael."

xxx

"Put me down!" she giggles, laughing like a little girl. "Put me down, Michael."

"No," he says, tightening his hold on her even more and biting her earlobe playfully.

"Ouch!" she squeals. "Please, I need a few more minutes. I'm cold, please," she pleads. "I just woke up!"

"Then beg," he whispers.

"Please, Michael, I need a-"

Michael flashes her an evil smile and without warning, he turns on the shower and turns her back on the cold, running water.

"Holy shit! I'm fucking freezing! Put me down!" she screams, body shaking from the cold.

Michael laughs and presses her back against the cold tile. "I said, beg," he says smirking.

Nikita screams and unintentionally digs her fingers deep into his flesh when her back comes into contact with the cold tile. "Son-of-a-bitch! What the hell is with you this morning?!" she says almost annoyingly.

"Beg," he whispers, pressing his body against hers roughly. His eyes are wild and dark, hands tightly gripping her legs around his waist.

"Make me," she says seductively, lips inches away from his.

"Oh, yeah? Is that a dare?" he says smiling.

"Double dare," she replies, pulling his body forcefully closer against her.

He stares at her with lustful eyes, going from her eyes down to her lips. "You have no idea what I want to do to you right now," he says in a husky tone.

She smiles seductively and licks her lower lip. "I think I've got a pretty good idea," she replies, looking lustfully at his lips. "What are you waiting for?"

He smiles and leans even closer, lips almost touching hers. "You're gonna be sorry. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Oh, yeah? How about less talk and more action?" she says, biting his lower lip playfully.

He groans and without any warning, he spreads her legs and enters her roughly. He enters her and bury himself too deeply into her. There's nothing gentle about the way he thrusts into her. He loves making love to her, but for some reason right now all he wants do is just fuck the hell out of her, and make her beg for more. He thrusts into her deeply and hard while he buries his head on the side of her neck. "How is this for action?" he says, pounding her roughly. He just made love to her last night but he does not seem to get enough of her. His sexual appetite has completely changed when he met her. He always seems to want her, as if she is some kind of an addictive drug.

"Ahhh," she moans loudly. "Micha-ahh, Michael, I'm slipping," she says breathlessly. Their bodies are too wet, she is slipping from his grip.

"I don't give a fuck," he says, spreading her legs even wider as he thrusts into her.

"Fuck!" she moans, biting her lower lip.

"What's the matter, baby? Can't handle me?" he whispers, pounding her even harder.

Nikita closes her eyes and grips his hair roughly. "Michael," she moans.

"Say my name again," he commands, banging her mercilessly. He bites her lower lip, "Say my name!"

"Go to hell," she answers, biting his lower lip none too gently in retaliation.

He pulls out of her and settles her on her feet. Before she can even protest, he turns her around and bends her over forcefully. He lifts her hips a little and enters her at full length. He closes his eyes in pleasure and begins to pound her again.

Nikita drops her head down, clinging desperately to the tub faucet. "Ahhh," she moans loudly. "Shit!"

Michael suddenly pulls out of her which makes Nikita growl in frustration. He grips her hips and enters her again, but unlike ealier, he moves slowly and just after two strokes, he pulls out again.

"Michael-" she says huskily.

"What?" he says, reentering her. He moves just as slow as he did a minute ago and pulls right out.

"Fuck!" she screams irritatedly.

He enters her again and pounds her with force. She moans loudly in pleasure, gripping the faucet tightly for support. Then, just like that, he pulls out of her.

"Michael-" she says, voice almost inaudible.

"Yes?" he replies mockingly.

"What the fuck are you doing?" she asks annoyingly.

He enters her and pulls out quickly. Nikita closes her eyes and leans her head forward against the shower wall. The pressure is building up and she needs some release. He is torturing her and it is driving her crazy and wild. She feels her head spinning, it physically hurts.

"I warned you, baby," he says, squeezing her buttocks gently.

"Just fuck me already!"

Michael gives her a devilish smile and runs his hand down her back, "What did you say? I didn't hear you."

"God damn it, Michael! Just fuck me already!" she screams impatiently.

With that he grabs her hair and grips it tightly. He then enters her and begins to pound her harder and faster than he did earlier. "Ahhh! Yeaah," she moans.

"Oh, yeah? You like this?" he says, pounding continuously.

"Ahh! Damn you!" she screams.

Both of them are in desperate need of release and they are both nearing their ecstasy when all of a sudden the door swings open.

"Oh, fuck!" exclaims Alex, surprised to see Nikita in that awkward position. "Sorry," she says, covering her eyes with her hand. Without realizing who the man is, she quickly closes the door and leaves the house.

Both Nikita and Michael are so stunned that they could not bring themselves to continue anymore. Nikita falls to the tub on her knees, and Michael leans against the cold wall, breathing heavily in frustration.

"Ugh! Fucking little bitch," says Nikita, obviously annoyed with the interruption. "I'm gonna kill her."

Michael kneels down behind her and hugs her. "This isn't over," he whispers seductively in her ear.

xxx

Nikita is meeting with a client outside the city. Eventhough she and Michael now lives in the same house and works at the same place, the two of them still drive their own cars to work. She is running late due to a meeting she attended that lasted longer than she anticipated. She gathers all her stuff and grabs her car keys. She rides the elevator and quickly walks to her car. As she is opening her the trunk of her car, she is approached by a woman with a familiar voice.

"Nikita. Can we talk?"

"What are you doing here, Liz?"


	20. Chapter 20

**Whoohoo! We've finally got a date! I can't wait for Season 4! I'm sure I'm going to cry my ass off and eat my hair in the corner once it's finally over but who cares? I'll deal with that later, right? After the holidays, perhaps. Anyway, here's Chapter 20. I hope you like it. Don't forget to leave reviews. Thank you! And to my girls, Amy, Jezza and Lexie, I love you. Get well soon, Amy. I've missed you these couple of days. Kiss kiss!**

"Nikita, can we talk?"

"What are you doing here, Liz?"

"I need to talk to you. Can we go some place private?" she says in a soft tone.

"We have nothing to talk about," she answers firmly.

Liz puts her head down and places both of her hands inside her pockets. "Michael left me-"

Nikita interrupts her. "Look-"

"And I know he moved in with you," she says, voice cracking. "Please, can we talk some place private?" she asks again.

"No. We can talk here," she says coldly.

The two look at each other for what seems like a long time. In Nikita's eyes, Liz can see both fear and determination; fear of losing Michael and determination to fight for Michael. And in Liz's eyes, Nikita can see pain, desperation and hatred; pain caused by their infidelity, desperation to get Michael back and hatred towards her, the woman who wrecked her family.

"Nikita," she pauses, tears visibly forming in her eyes. "Our daughter misses her daddy."

"Why are you telling me this? If you have something to say, say it to Michael."

"Because he won't listen to me!"

"Then that's not my problem, Liz. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go," she says, turning around to unlock her car.

Liz catches her elbow and stops her. "Nikita, please-"

"Do not touch me!"

"Please, Nikita, do not do this to our family. Just find someone else. Someone who isn't married," she says bitterly.

"Michael chose me! He chose me, Liz! Maybe you should talk to him and not me!" she says angrily.

Nikita turns around but Liz walks right in front of her. "Please, Nikita, I'm begging you. Return him to us, to his family. Please, tell him to come home to us, to Hayley," she pleads.

"Return him to you?" she repeats bitterly. "What is he, some kind of a pet? It's not that easy."

"But he is mine first! He is married to me, Nikita. Not to you!"

"He left you and chose me! He maybe married to you but marriage is nothing but a piece of paper!"

"Nikita, please," she pleads, kneeling down on the ground.

"Move out of my way."

"Nikita, please, I'm begging you," she pleads, sobbing.

"Move!"

"Please," she sobs hysterically. "You're a woman, too, and I'm sure you wouldn't want this to happen to you."

Her words sting more than she expects. Of course she knows how it feels like to have her family taken away. She lived it. She saw the same pain and desperation in her own mother's eyes, and she was once that little girl who waited and waited all night for her dad to come home. But no matter how terrible and disgusted she feels about herself, she still tries to justify it and fight her own emotions because this is Michael they are talking about. The man of her dreams, the love of her life. She has lived through the pain of losing her family, but losing Michael is something she cannot and will not survive. She loves him way too much, and if that means hurting other people and looking like a monster in other people's eyes then so be it. Michael matters more. She pushes Liz gently out of her way, and quickly unlocks her car. She hops inside her car and drives off fast, leaving Liz on her knees in the middle of the parking lot. She looks on her rear mirror and sees Liz still sobbing on her knees. She does not realize that she too is crying; crying for the woman she has become and for the lives she has ruined. But she quickly reminds herself that there is nothing wrong with what she is doing. That she is doing all of this for love, for Michael.

xxx

Nikita arrives home and parks her car next to Michael's car. She sits in her car for a minute and tries to compose herself. The last thing she needs tonight is a confrontation with Michael. She turns on a light and fixes herself. She hops out of her car and makes her way inside the house. She enters the house and quickly smells the aroma of food that is being cooked in the kitchen. She walks over and sees Michael in front of the stove, wearing an apron and singing his heart out, not realizing that Nikita is already home. Nikita can't help but smile. After everything that has happened today, seeing Michael this way, makes everything alright; having him with her feels so right, and makes everything worth it. He turns around and sees her standing by the counter with a smile on her face. He smiles back at her and walks towards her.

"Hey, there, beautiful," he says, kissing her on the lips. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I know. I wanted to surprise you," she replies in between kisses. "It smells good in here. What are you cooking?"

"Remember that food we ate when we were on that hill in Hawaii?"

"You mean our first real date?" she says, kissing his lips again.

"Yes."

"Yeah, I do."

"I'm making that tonight," he says, winking at her seductively.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, thank you. I got this. Just go upstairs and change, and come down when you're done."

"If you insist," she says, giving him one last peck on the lips. "I'll be right back."

xxx

Michael finally finishes cooking. He arranges the table nicely, with candle lights and newly-picked roses from the garden. He takes out the wine from the fridge and walks over the cabinets to grab the wine glasses.

A few minutes later, Nikita arrives wearing a black lingerie. Michael swallows hard and looks at her from head to toe. "You look beautiful," he says, pulling a chair out for her.

"Thank you," she says. "This looks delicious."

Nikita sits down and Michael opens the bottle of wine. He pours the wine and picks one rose from the vase, and gives it to Nikita. "I love you, babe," he says, kissing her hand.

"I love you, too," she replies, bringing his hand to her lips.

"Shall we?"

She smiles at him. This moment right here is perfect and she doesn't want it to ever end. She has never felt this way before towards anybody, and she has never felt happier in her entire life.

"Thank you," she says.

"For what?"

"For this. For everything."

He brings his hand to her face and caresses her cheek. "I'll do anything to see that beautiful smile," he says smiling. "Anything."

She smiles again and kisses him quickly on the lips. "Now, let's eat. I'm starving."

Michael chuckles. "That's what I thought."

xxx

The two of them finished dinner and Michael grabs the dirty dishes while he sends Nikita to sit on the counter to watch.

"Babe, let me help you with those," she says, feeling uncomfortable sitting down and watching him clean up. "It's the least I can do."

"Nope. Just sit there and relax. I don't want you to get tired," he says, clearing the table.

"But I'm not tired, babe. I swear. Just let me help, please?" she insists, grabbing the towel from his hand.

He leads her back and hoist her up on the counter. "Just sit here and watch. I'll be done very soon," he says, kissing her on the lips.

Nikita does not argue and just sits there. She watches Michael intently as he washes the dishes. She couldn't help but feel guilty and horrible for taking him away from his family. She couldn't help but feel guilty for taking away such a great man from his wife. She is so lost in thought that she doesn't realize Michael is staring at her. He sees sadness and pain in her eyes and it scares him. He walks over to her and frames her face with both hands.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asks in a soft, gentle tone.

"Nothing," she answers, putting her head down to avoid his gaze.

"Please talk to me. Why are you sad?" he asks, lifting her chin up so he can look her in the eye.

"I just-" she begins to say, tears forming in her eyes. "I don't deserve to be happy, Michael."

"What? Why are you saying that?"

"Because I'm a horrible person," she begins to cry.

"No, you're not. Where is this coming from?" he asks, concerned. "You are not a bad person. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, I am. I stole you away from your wife and kid."

There, she finally says it. Michael's eyes widen. He couldn't believe what he just heard. All this time he thought he and Nikita were on the same page. That they both knew what they were getting into. But seeing her like this, breaking down in the kitchen, worries him beyond belief.

"You didn't steal me away, Nikita."

"Yes, I did."

"No, you didn't. What happened between us wasn't planned. God knows I tried to stay away but no matter what I did, my heart always led me to you."

"But you're married, Michael. I should have known better. I should have stayed away."

"So what?" he says angrily. "I feel bad for hurting Liz, I really do. But I can't teach my heart who to love! God knows I did love her. But I fell out of love and it wouldn't be fair if I stayed knowing that my heart is screaming your name and not hers!"

"Michael-"

"Listen to me. Listen to me, Nikita. You are the one I love. You are the one I want to be with. Do you hear me? To others this may be wrong but to me, it is not. And if I had to live all over again and make a choice, I would do the exact same thing I did just to be with you."

Nikita breaks down and kisses Michael passionately. "I'm sorry," she says. "I'm sorry."

Michael grabs her and wraps his arms tightly around her body. "Shhh, it's okay." He releases her and wipes the tears off her face. He then kisses her passionately, and she kisses him back with the same intensity and passion. She pulls his shirt over his head and begins to kiss him frantically, as if she is running out of time.

He pulls away and stops her, as if he can almost read her mind. "It's okay. You have nothing to be scared of. I'm not going to leave you again" he reassures her.

She smiles sadly and he can still see the fear and doubt in her eyes. He grabs her neck and kisses her slowly and tenderly, making her feel all the love he has for her.

"I love you," he whispers, as he makes his way down her neck. He travels down and begins to remove her lingerie. "Only you."

Within seconds, she is completely bare. He breaks the kiss and spends a minute gazing at her. He caresses her cheeks and brushes her hair gently with his fingers while his eyes remain locked with hers. Nikita closes her eyes at his touch.

"Open your eyes and look at me," he says softly.

She opens her eyes and stares at him. She can see sadness and love in them. "I love you," he whispers, staring right into her eyes. "And choosing you was the best decision I've ever made."

A single tear escapes her eye and she grabs his face with both hands and kisses him passionately. "I love you, too," she says in between kisses. "Very much."

He parts her legs and wraps them around his waist. He then carries her to the dining table and lays her down on top it. He unbuckles his belt and pulls Nikita's hips closer to him. He leans down and kisses her, "I love you." Then he enters her. Nikita moans and closes her eyes. He begins to move slowly and gently, rubbing her legs and stomach as he goes. He picks up his pace and earns a loud moan from Nikita. Nikita bites her lower lip and clutches the edge of the table, "Michael," she moans breathlessly.

Michael closes his eyes and throws his head back. Nikita's moans are like music to his ears that make his heart skip a beat. He grips her legs tightly and lifts her hips a little, penetrating her deeper and deeper with each thrust.

"Michael" she moans, turning her head slowly from side to side with mouth slightly open. "Michael."

He releases her legs and brings his hands to squeeze her breasts. He squeezes them as he continues to thrust into her. He looks down on her and sees her falling apart. He smiles and grabs her by the neck, and brings her lips to his. He kisses her, "I love you," he says breathlessly. He lifts her up and carries her. He then sits on top of the table and pulls Nikita on top of him. Nikita pushes him down; she climbs on top of him and straddles him in a kneeling position. She holds onto his shoulders and begins to move slowly.

"Nikita," he says breathlessly.

He looks at her and their eyes meet. Their eyes remained locked as she continues to move up and down. Their eyes are speaking what their mouths cannot speak. She moves her hands on the center of his chest, and he puts his hands on her waist, guiding her movements. Nikita begins to breathe heavily and she begins to move faster. She throws her head back and releases a loud moan, digging her fingernails on his arms.

"Fuck!" she moans. "Michael!" she screams.

Michael feels her contract around him and it doesn't take long before he reaches his own orgasm. "Nikita!"

Nikita collapses on top of him. Both of them are sweating profusely, breathing heavily. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her lips. "I love you, Nikita."

She kisses him back. "I love you, too, Michael."

xxx

Michael just finished having lunch with a client when his phone suddenly rings. He looks and sees Liz's name flashing on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Daddy."

Michael's heart jumps when he heard his little girl's voice. He almost did not pick up the phone because he thought it was Liz. "How are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm okay, Daddy. I've missed you," she says, voice cracking.

"Me, too, princess."

"Can I see you? Can I visit you to your new house?"

"Uhm, sweetie, I don't know if Mommy feels comfortable or-"

"Do you want to ask her? She's here with me," says Hayley excitedly.

She does not wait for an answer and quickly hands the phone over to Liz.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Liz. Hayley wants to visit me but I don't know if you're okay with it. Whatever you decide, I'll respect."

"It's okay. She can go," she says sadly. "I guess she's gonna have to get used to the fact that she will have two homes now."

"Liz-"

"It's okay, Michael. I've accepted it," she says sadly.

"Are you sure it's okay?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Okay. I'll pick her up around 5."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

xxx

Michael picked up Hayley at exactly 5:00 PM. He took her out for ice cream and took her to the mall to buy a new teddy. Michael checks his watch and sees it's already 7:00. He is becoming anxious because tonight will be the first time Nikita and Hayley will meet each other. He does not know how the two of them will react. He drives home with Hayley in the backseat.

"Daddy, how far is your new house?" she asks innocently.

"We're almost there, actually."

"Yay! I'm excited."

A few minutes later, the two arrive at the driveway. Michael does not see Nikita's car yet so he quickly unbuckles Hayley from her booster seat and takes her inside the house.

"Wow, Daddy! Your house is big! I love it!" she says twirling.

Michael forces a fake smile. "I'm glad. Let's go to the kitchen and grab some drinks."

They walk to the kitchen and Hayley climbs on the stool and sits there quietly, observing the new surrounding.

Michael hears Nikita's car and his heart begins to race. He looks over at Hayley and sees her playing with her new teddy bear. Nikita opens the door and makes her way to the kitchen. She sees Michael right away and walks towards him.

"Hi, babe," she says, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Babe-"

She kisses him passionately. "I've missed you. How was your day?"

"Daddy, who is she?"


End file.
